False Tactics
by et-spiritus-sancti
Summary: Sequel to Scare Tactics. Two Harm and Macs and a daugher stuck in the middle? What more could go wrong? Chapter 9: Author's note.
1. Old Acquaintances

Started: 1-27-04

Finished:

_JAG_

__

"False Tactics"

Sequel to _Scare Tactics_

Disclaimer: Based on CBS's "JAG". No infringement intended. All characters belong to "Belisarius" productions except for my original characters. 

(A/N) Welcome back! First off, I highly suggest reading the first story, Scare Tactics, or else this really won't make much sense at all. Anywho, I'm back and ready to start fresh with the new plot. Thank you all for your support! Review responses from the epilogue of Scare Tactics are found below :).

Special thanks to me bud, Elle, who gave me ideas for my epilogue. You rock!!! 

Ghettonerd: Thank you so much! I hope this was soon enough!!! :D Welcome back!

LadyJadePerendil: LoL, yeah, and I hope it'll be more funny than anything, lol. No, no, don't worry, I won't do any of "The One" crap, don't worry about that. Ya, since Daniel will be twice the age he was when Grace met him, I'll probably do something with that. Same thing with Eric. Thank you so much, and I hope this came fast enough!!! Thanks again! (btw, your second response will be one after the next response :D). Ah! And look! You were lucky number ~*260*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, LADY!!!

ArwenUndomiel: Yah, CB and DJE did hit about something with the 200th. Yeah, I believe we're on 196, oooh, it'll probably be something with the baby deal, teeheehee....Oh no, no more new eps?? But does that mean they're still showing older ones?? Oh, that's good. I try to catch NCIS when I can, but it's not on the best night for me, but when I do catch it, it's pretty good :D. Hey, thank you so much, I had a blast writing Scare Tactics, and I couldn't have done it without ya!!! Thanks, and see ya next week!!

LadyJadePerendil: Ya, my grandpa has Alzheimer's, and it's hard. And I just thought it would be really sad to add that in there, and hopefully realistic. Thank you, and I'll pray for ur nana. :)

Cmaf: LOL, I'm sorry it wasn't the ending u were hoping for! But you're right, it's not over. I left a lot of things still to be worked out, which is good, because then I have a lot more to work with in this sequel. LOL, I love all those quotes ;). But the "Boo" one just fits ya :D. Thanks again!

Mimmi: Hey there! LOL, well, you guys have made me soo happy. That was the most satisfied I've ever been with an ending, and it couldn't have happened without ya'll!!! Ya, it was sad to write about AJ, but it felt realistic and a fitting ending for him. Even though it breaks me heart!!! Thank you for the constant support!!! 

e-dog: LoL, are you kidding, _I_ can't wait to see how I'm gonna pull this off...kidding, kidding, lol. Thank you. *raises coffee mug* 

Deb: Yes, it'll be very good with Grace knowing everything on both sides. LoL, this is gonna be so much fun. Thanks for stickin' around!!!! 

SarahRabb705: Thank you! Oh my, you know how they say opposites attract, well I believe that also means if two are the side, sparks will fly. It's going to be interesting, lol...

Gillian-Marie: Welcome! It's good to have you!! Aw, thank you so much, I had a blast writing that story, and I think I'll have just as much fun with this one!!!

Winnie Bear: Aw, thank you!!! Glad you came back!!! ;)

Corinne: Thank you, it was wonderful to write!!! I had too much fun! Hope you like this one! Ah! And look! You were lucky number ~*270*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, CORINNE!!!!

Kstorm: LoL, not only is Grace going to have to deal with them, but those guys will have to deal with _each other_. Muahahaha...heehee...thank you!!!

Madelynne Rabb: Thank you, lol, I was trying to strive for originality, and didn't want to fall into the awful Mary-Sue trap, so that means a lot, thank you!!

Jaggy 107: LoL, thank you! Ya, that reunion is going to be...hopefully interesting, lol. I can't wait for ya to read it!

Carby24/7: LoL, plz don't die!! Look, it's here!!! :D. Aww, I'm sry, I'll remember to post a Kleenex warning if more of that comes up :). Thank you, and see ya next week!!!

Surgeonblue: Was this fast enough?!?! Hope so!!! :D Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it!

Nikole1025: LOL, no, really, there have been worse cliffhangers, I promise! :D Tsk, aw, thank you *sniff* you're gonna make me cry, darn it!!! Thank ya so much, and see ya next week!

Chris: Thank you! I can't wait to start on the possibilities of what might happen with 2 Mac and Harms, ooooh my gosh, I hope it doesn't come out stupid!! Thank you!!!

NadaZimri: BAH! Fine, I'll be quiet *sniff*...bein' all mean to me...ya meanie six.. :P, thank, ol' buddy, ol' pal :D. 

Harm-n-Mac Shipper: LoL, hopefully not too cruel!! Aw, thank you, I try, I'm just glad ya'll liked it. :). I can't wait for you to see what I have planned for H/M and meeting their older selves and vica-versa...muahahaha....ya, I won't do much with Eric throughout the whole story (since he's twice the age he was when Grace last) but she will meet him again, though he won't know her. It's kinda gonna be tragic, but then she'll realize things about Clay Jr. that she hadn't before, and...wait, I'm not gonna give it allll away :D. heehee....anywho, thanks a bunch!!!

Alex: Oh, thank you!! LoL, you never quite know how many ppls are reading, do ya??!!! :D thank you, and hope you like this!! Ah! And look! You were lucky number ~*280*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, ALEX!!!  
Domintel: LOL, oh no! Don't forget about H/M!!!! LoL, thank you so much!!! I think I get what you meant, and I wanted to leave a good cliffhanger, because I knew for a fact that there was going to be a full-out sequel, so I hope it was not that killer of a cliffhanger :D. LOL, nooo, I love long-rambling reviews *snigger*...heehee..to keep everything in order, ur second review response is right below :).

Domintel: Umm, I think I would seriously drive you insane if you were my beta reader, lol. Really, sometimes, I don't finish a chapter until very, very late Thursday nights....like I said...insane, lol. I'll try not to make a habit of finishing up a chapter that late. I know if I was more organized than that, I would've added more to the epilogue (I had a whole scene made out in my head for Grace and Eric, but didn't have time to get it down on the comp...). Anywho, perhaps if I better organize myself, I'll consider havin' ya as a beta reader. Thank you for the offer :). 

Sunchaser2: Thank you! Ya, it was sad, but somehow, i enjoyed writing it...I think I thrive on angst....is that a disease??? :) Thank you again. 

Macicat: LOL, just goes to show ya never know how many ppl are reading!!! :) Thank you for reading though. Ireland, really?!?! Wow, that's far...lol, hope you didn't have to wait too long for this!!!!! Thank youuu!

Kiwi: Thank you so much!!! I know, it felt soooo weird, not updating the story Thursday night, lol, I've become mechanical!!! :D Thanks again!!!

Clalla: Thank you so much!!!

Maggie: Thank you!! Ohh, i can't wait either, lol, this is gonna be so much fun!!! Thank you!!!!

Kassia525: LoL, thank you!!! Ugh, I'm homeschooled, so I just tried my best to figure out what high school reactions would be, lol. Thank you so much!!!

Moonlights Sundance: Ah! But it's not over yet!!!!! :D Thank you!! LoL, *raises coffee mug* :D

Pissed Off Poet: Hehe, thank you so much!! LoL, I hope you like this one!!!!! LoL, mmm, coffee is goood....:D Ah! And look! You were lucky number ~*290*~ on the review list!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, POET!

CharmedMummy: 1. Thank you! I didn't really know I was gonna have the H/M future deal until the last chapter. I considered it, but wasn't sure I was going to use it. But now my bud has been feeding ideas into my brain and I hope it comes out good!! 2. Yeah, I was thinking about how difficult it would be for Harm to visit the Admiral. It would be such a shock. Because, probably the only convenient thing about Alzheimer's, is it usually happens gradually, and you can kind of get used to it. But Harm and Mac are pretty much just gonna get hit by this :(. 3. I know, I'm terrible, I never told you who married Webb. Well, I think it was because I couldn't really find a good place to bring it up. But now I've gotten something from the show that I'm going to use, and I promise you'll know who is wife is in this story :). Thank you so much!!!

NavyCB: Thank you so much, for your constant support all the way to the end :). Thank you!

Pennithil: LOL, can it get any more confusing?!?!?! Muahahaha...well, don't worry, I'm pretty sure how this mixed up story will be put together again :). Thank you so much!!

Jagchick105: LoL, it's okay :D. Thank you! I find the hardest part is creating realistic characters, and I was so afraid Grace would turn into a Mary-Sue!!! So thank you, that means a lot!! Oh my, you're making me blush, lol. I can only strive to be as good an author as you!!! Oohhhhh my gosh, it'll be sooo much fun how I'm gonna make the past and future H/M interact with each other...teeheehee...insanity ensues...hehe...Thank you so much, it wouldn't have nearly as much fun with out ya!!! *sigh* Unstable needs some work, and I may repost a couple chapters. I was kinda stuck there at the end of chapter 8, and wasn't sure where I was gonna go. But now that's I've had more practice writing JAG fics, hopefully that story will make more sense, lol. You hafta admit, Ariel's story was a little whacked out, lol. *jumps up and down* Yay! I get a Harm-hug!!!! Teeheehee.....*big grin*...LOL, yup, see ya next week!!!!! :D thanks again :). 

NadaZimri: LOL, well, I'm just gonna go all out and say thanks for all those extra reviews :)  (lol, it actually feels kind of devious, lol). Ah, and look! You were lucky number ~*400*~  (gee..;D )on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, ELLE!!!

Cmaf: LOL, I already answered you, *giggle* Hope you like this!!  

Chapter 1: Old Acquaintances 

0913 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia

Grace awoke with a start and she gasped. Her eyes wandered around her bedroom. They adjusted to the darkness and she was able to make out the objects in her room. What kind of dream was that? She had one of those awful dreams where you're running from someone, but you seem to be crawling _so_ slowly. Grace was glad she woke up from it. 

 Not really wanting to fall asleep again, for fear of drifting back into the dream, Grace rose to a sitting position, bringing her knees up to her chest. She suddenly found herself thinking about the yesterday's events. What stuck out in her mind the most was visiting AJ. It made her shiver as his expression kept reappearing. That man looked at her and saw a stranger. She looked at that man and saw a dead friend. It was the best way she could describe it. Because as far as the Admiral was concerned, she didn't exist. 

 Grace sighed, glancing over at her clock. The digital numbers read off that it was 0400. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, Grace tossed the covers aside and grabbed a sweater. She knew she would be a zombie in school today. 

***

1201 ZULU

"No, _I_ want it!"

"You don't need it! Give it!" 

Jake and Isabelle played tug of war with a little plastic bag containing a toy racecar from a cereal box. Isabelle was pulling with all her might using both hands. Jake held on with one hand, rolling his eyes at his sister's stubbornness.

"You don't even _like_ cars!" Jake pointed out. 

"But _I_ found it!"

Mac stumbled into the kitchen, putting a shoe on. Her brow furrowed when she saw her two children fighting over the toy. She shot a gaze to her husband at the round kitchen table, who avoided disciplining them by holding the newspaper out in front of him.

Once she got her high heel shoe on, she grabbed the toy from the two.

"Moooommmmm!" The two of them whined in unison. 

Instead of throwing the toy away (she knew one of them would be silly enough to brave the garbage can to get it) she stuffed it in her purse. "If neither of you can agree, then neither of you can have it. Now brush your teeth and make sure you have all your homework."

The kids stomped out of the kitchen, shoving each other as they went. Harm slowly lowered the newspaper, his eyes narrowing. 

"Where are you going?" He asked, taking notice that she was in a business suit and her hair was done particularly nicely. 

"I have an interview." Mac answered quickly as she drained the rest of her coffee.

Harm blinked. "You _what_?"

"An interview!" She said again, as if it was the most normal thing she could do. Mac then sat at the table, gathering papers into a briefcase. Harm watched with his mouth parted slightly. 

"With who?"

"Newman & Lowry, attorneys at law." She said distractedly as her eyes skimmed over one of the papers.

Harm chuckled. "You planning on divorcing me?" He joked. 

"I ran into Barb Shirley at the market yesterday," Mac continued, ignoring Harm's joke, "Her brother-in-law is Michael Newman and it seems his partner, Mr. Lowry had a stroke. He needs someone to take over Lowry's cases while he recovers."

Harm made a half smile. "What—you're going to be a lawyer?"

Mac shot her head up, her eyes glazing a bit. "It's not funny. I may have not been in a courtroom for near fifteen years, but I still...pretty much remember everything." 

Now Harm started to worry. "Mac...we have three children. The whole reason you gave up your career was to raise them! And—just when did we discuss you going back to work?!"

"We didn't." Mac snapped the briefcase closed and stood, "Besides, I think this a good opportunity for me. As well as for you."

"Me." Harm answered flatly. 

"Of course, it gives you better chance to get closer with the kids!"

Harm stared at his wife blankly. "How?"

Mac smiled innocently. "Well, would you mind picking them up from school?"

"Of course not—"

"And bringing them to JAG?"

"Mac—"

"Harm, Grace can't watch those two by herself with all the homework she needs to do!"

Harm stuttered to find a good excuse. "An—and what am I supposed to do? I have meetings with the SecNav, Admiral Harley, Congressman Lewis—"

"Just let them stay with your yeoman and they'll be fine!"

Mac challenged the man to come up with a retort to that. He couldn't and finally gave in. "Fine..."

Mac spread a wry grin as she went to the kitchen door, poking her head out of it. "I'M IN THE CAR IN THREE MINUTES AND FORTY-TWO SECONDS!"

Mac listened and heard all of them yell down "okay's" before going back to the kitchen table. Harm had moved to the counter and was putting away the cereal boxes and milk carton. He stopped and stared at his wife curiously. When Mac turned around to see his face, she sighed.

"What?"

"I still can't believe you didn't tell me about it." He mumbled. 

Mac's frame drooped at her husband's expression. She hoisted her purse over her shoulder and pulled the briefcase to her side. "Look, Harm, I just want to try this out," Mac replied, going up to him and straightening his tie, "It won't be forever!"

***

1245 ZULU

Streets of Georgetown

Virginia

 "Stop touching me!" Jake complained, shoving his little sister's shoulder. 

"I'm not even near you!" Isabelle shot back.

"Hey! You guys, this is your last warning!" Mac cautioned, peering up at her rear-view mirror to see them. The two kids continued to make faces at each other. 

 Grace was completely oblivious, her small headphones shoved inside her ears blocked out the noise. Mac, keeping her eyes on the road, elbowed her daughter next to her. Grace's head shot up, her eyes wide. She yanked the speakers out of her ears. 

"What?"

"Change of plans today, guys," Mac started, now that she had everyone's attention, "Daddy's gonna pick you up from school and bring you to the office."

The two kids in the backseat exchanged grins, but Grace narrowed her eyes at her mother suspiciously.

"What? Why," She exclaimed, "Mom, I can't watch _them_!"

Mac explained the interview that would probably run into the afternoon. Grace listened carefully.

"Bu—but when did you decide to go back to work?!"

"It's just an interview," Mac tried to reason, "it doesn't mean I'm going back to work!"

"But you _want_ to go back to work..."

Mac struggled with a response. "Grace, it's just that I'm—I'm—"

"Bored?" Grace finished for her.

"Wha—how could say that, of course not! I love being around you guys, it's just..."

Grace nodded. "You're bored." She concluded, bringing her eyes to the road.

"Bored with what?" Isabelle inquired, her eyes darting from Jake, who at the moment seemed quite subdued, and her mother and sister.

Before anyone could answer, the car stopped in front of Georgetown High School. 

Mac smiled. "Have a good day."

"Bye, Gracie!" Isabelle yelled loudly from the backseat. 

Grace cringed as a couple passing students snickered. She mumbled a "bye" as she closed the car door. The window slid down and Mac called after her. 

Rolling her eyes, Grace turned around. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna wish me luck?" Mac said with a strange twinkle in her eye. This woman was actually _excited_ about the possibility of going back to work!

"Sure, Mom." 

***

1247 ZULU

Dupree Mansion 

Outside Georgetown

 Mac breathed in deep, but her mouth filled with dusty air, and she coughed lightly. Her head was resting on something soft and warm and she opened her eyes to see Harm's chin. She brought her head up from his chest and got into a sitting position. Mac squinted her eyes as light broke into the basement from the hole in the stairs. She felt strange, like she'd been stretched, and then something else hit her...she had no clue what time it was. Her internal clock wasn't sending any signals. She only knew it had been one minute and seventeen seconds since she woke up. So for the first time probably ever, she looked down at her watch. 

_0748 hours._

Mac shivered as a frigid breeze tunnelled in from the hole in the stairs. That was _not_ a simple chilly October draft. So did they actually cross over? 

Mac looked down at her fiancé. He seemed so peaceful. Then she realized he might have a concussion. It was a far enough drop that he fell, and then she fell on _him_...yeah, he was probably in pain too. Mac nudged him to get no response. 

"Harm, wake up." She ordered, elbowing him. 

A little moan escaped him and his brow furrowed some. He cautiously opened his eyes and stared at Mac for a moment. His eyes darted around the room before landing back on Mac. 

"Did we..."

Mac nodded. "Yeah, I think so. It's almost 0800."

Harm grunted as he sat up with Mac's help. "You all right, sailor?"

He stood, wobbling a bit and massaging his lower back. "I'll live." 

Mac stood with ease. "Thanks for breaking my fall."

"Yeah, well you almost broke my neck." Harm protested, rubbing the back of his head, "What happened?"

"You tripped and fell in."

Harm narrowed his eyes. "Then how did _you_ get here?"

Mac shrugged. "I went after you."

"What?!" Harm exclaimed, "are you nuts?!"

Seeing no point in getting into an argument about it, Mac put her fists firmly on her hips. "Look, we're stuck here, all right? I think right now we need to concentrate on our next move."

That was good enough for Harm, and he fell silent for a moment. "We should get to Grace." He suggested. 

Man nodded, crossing her arms tightly against herself, her light autumn jacket not really helping against the cold that swirled around the basement. "Good idea...where would she be?"

Harm checked his watch, then shrugged. "School?"

The Marine started to pace, tapping her chin. "Right. Georgetown High. We'll have to hitch a ride."

***

1316 ZULU

Harm wrapped his arm tighter around Mac, trying to shield her from the icy wind. They both stood rigidly at the end of the Dupree driveway, looking left and right down the road, hoping, no, praying for a vehicle to come. 

It only took a moment more for Harm to realize his thumb had gone completely numb. "I think my thumb in frostbitten." He said between clenched teeth.

Mac huddled closer into Harm as a strong gust whipped through them. "Is it purple?"

"No." Harm replied after quickly examining it.

"Then it's fine for now."

"For now?!" Harm exclaimed.

"Keep your thumb out, a car's coming!"

It was true, Harm had to squint his eyes, but he saw the glint of red metal coming near. He stuck his arm out further as the rusty pickup truck neared. He could see it slowing down. 

"I think he's gonna stop." 

The truck came to a short stop in front of them. The driver rolled down the fogged window. "Ya'll need a ride?" The driver was a man in his middle thirties wearing a tight-fitting wool hat with earflaps, quite resembling a biplane pilot, only without the goggles. A beard was growing unevenly on him, and his eyes glazed. The wind whipped around the stench of cigars, and Mac and Harm exchanged glances. It might be the only car to come around for a while. 

"Yeah, we need to get to Georgetown." Harm answered hesitantly.

The man nodded, staring at Mac for a little too long before rolling up his window. "I'm going in that direction. Be glad to give ya'll a ride."

Harm and Mac walked around the front of the truck, Harm watching the man through the windshield as he eyed Mac again. Harm opened the passenger door, feeling the heat escape from inside and the intoxicating stench of the cigars. It brought back a distant memory of when he smoked, but Harm found no craving for them. Being able to resist cigars was now child's play. 

 They squeezed into the front seat; Harm keeping a protective arm around Mac, who unfortunately was sitting in the middle. As Mac put on her seatbelt, Harm caught the man looking at her again, and the sailor fixed a hostile expression on the guy. He got his message across and the man's eyes quickly shifted back to the road. 

"Ya'll in?" The man asked as Harm shut the car door. 

"Yup."

The truck shifted into gear and jerked forward. 

 The wind played with the large snowflakes that started to fall, blowing them in every direction. It made visual conditions horrible and Harm hoped to God this guy knew where he was going. The man didn't seem stressed by it and just shook his head. 

"Storm's pickin' up. Good thing I got to ya'll when I did!" The man said confidently.

"Yeah, thanks, Mister..."

"Ah, just call me Earl." He said with a toothy smile. 

The officers didn't proffer their names and Earl didn't ask, or at least didn't ask their names. 

"That's a pretty remote spot you was at. Car break down?"

Harm and Mac exchanged glances again. "Sure."

Earl was about to ask something else when sirens sounded from behind them. Harm peered at the car door mirror and saw blue and red flashing lights. 

"Ah, damn it." Earl mumbled as he slowed the car down and pulled it over, "figures I get caught in the middle o' nowhere." 

A few minutes later, the police officer came up to the driver's side window and tapped on the glass. Earl put on a smile and rolled down the window. 

"Problem officer?"

The cop's expression was deadpan. "You were speedin', son."

Earl's eyebrows drew in, in confusion. "Really?"

The cop nodded his head towards the back of the pickup truck. "What do you got covered back there?"

Earl shrugged. "Farmin' supplies."

The cop chuckled. "Oh, really. And what grows this time of year?"

Earl's smile diminished. "Uh..."

"Why don't I take a look. You stay right there." He ordered. 

When the cop left, Earl slowly turned his head to his passengers. "You might wanna run."

Harm narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Cause that cop is about to find ten kilos of cocaine in my trunk." 

***

1403 ZULU

Georgetown Police Station

Virginia

Harm slowly tapped his fingers on the hard metal of the table, keeping his gaze locked with Mac's, who sat across from him. They obviously hadn't run, thinking it would only make things worse. But this situation didn't look good either. The interrogation room door opened and Detective Cutler entered the room. He had a briefcase, which he placed on the table, snapping it open.

"How you folks doin'?" The forty-something man said as he took out a couple Ziploc lunch baggies. 

Harm leaned forward in the chair, lacing his long fingers on the table. "We've been better."

Cutler grunted in reply as he sat down. He then took a police report out of his briefcase, skimming over the pages. "You say you were just hitch-hiking?" He asked sceptically.

Harm nodded. "That's right."

"Mm...and we thought we'd be nice and we went out there to tow your car which you said had broken down, but you see it's strange because we couldn't find your car." Cutler dropped the report on the table, looking back and forth from Harm to Mac. When they didn't answer, Cutler continued.

"There's something else interesting. Your name's Rabb, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, you see, you license we have from your wallet...it disturbing. It says here you were born in...lemme see...ah, yes, nineteen sixty-three." Cutler held up the license in front of Harm. He then cranked his head around, looking at the picture. "If I may say, sir, you look pretty good for fifty-seven years old."

Harm made a wry chuckle. "What can I say—diet and exercise."

Cutler lightly laughed. "Right...diet and exercise...were you also aware, Mr. Rabb, that your license expired twelve years ago?"

Harm eyes shifted to Mac, who pursed her lips. They were busted.

***

1645 ZULU

Georgetown High

Virginia

 Grace more than once in her life felt eternally grateful to have Clay as a friend. She knew she was nodding off and Clay had just kicked the back of her chair, making her sit up straight. The neighbouring students stifled their laughs. Grace sunk down in her chair a little, just happy the teacher didn't catch her. She made a mental note to not wake up before dawn _ever_ again. 

"And so you see that a protozoan that uses a flagellum to manoeuvre around is placed in phylum Mastigophoria, unlike the paramecium, which uses cilia, is placed in phylum Ciliophora—"

 A knock on the door interrupted Mrs. Barnet and the teacher put down the chalk, and went to answer it. Someone murmured something to her from the other side, and Grace felt she would almost fall asleep again. 

"Miss Rabb?!"  

Grace stirred and straightened her spine. "Yes?"

"You have a phone call from your father. Go to the principal's office to take it."

Grace's brows drew in. She couldn't help but inwardly scoff at the thought that her father forgot how to get to the school. She stood, shrugging at Clay before leaving the classroom. 

 Grace followed the woman who had delivered the message through the vacant halls. It felt so weird to be here when everyone was in class. After a couple turns, they came to the principal's office, and the woman nodded at the phone on her desk. 

"I'm going to get coffee." She then said, though Grace knew it was only to give her a little privacy. 

Grace picked up the black receiver and put it to her ear. "Dad?" There was a pause on the other line, and she could hear him breathing, "Daaaad." She dragged out in a singsong voice. 

"_Grace, it's—it's me_."

She chuckled lightly. "Yeaaaah, I know, what's up?"

He suddenly sounded a little frustrated, and sighed impatiently. "_N—no, Grace, I mean it's _me_...Harm_."

Grace's smile faded and her breath caught. "H—Harm?"

"_Look, I can't really explain it right now, but we need your help_."

Grace didn't comprehend what he just said. She was still stuck on, "_It's _me_...Harm_."

"_Grace? Are you listening to me_?"

"H—how did you—it's impossible!" She somehow choked out. 

"_Grace, listen, Mac is with me too, and we're...in a bit of a situation...um...do you have a credit card?_"

***

1714 ZULU

Georgetown Police Station

 Grace stepped out of the cab and stomped up the stone steps leading to the police station. When she'd first realized those two had come into her world, she was afraid. Utterly afraid. What would happen if they knocked into her parents? But worst of all, would they have to stay here and entire year before going back? That had scared her the most. But now, after having to sneak out of school during lunch, grab a cab, run home, steal a credit card from a drawer her parents didn't think she knew about, and spend _more_ money on a cab to get to the police station...no...now she was furious.

 Grace yanked open the door, rudely brushing past an officer. The place was loud with phones ringing and people talking and the occasional prisoner getting mouthy with a cop. Grace went to the front counter where a cop typed away at a computer. The woman had her blond hair pulled tightly back and it shocked her when Singer came to mind right away. Grace shook the image away and cleared her throat to get the woman's attention. The cop's eyes snapped up, then narrowed when they landed on Grace. 

"Can I help you?"

Grace nodded. "I'm here to pay the bail money for Harmon Rabb and Sarah Mackenzie."

***

1750 ZULU

Newman & Lowry: Attorneys at Law

Fairfax, Virginia

 Mac never realized she could have been this nervous. She tapped her fingers nervously on the armrest, and crossed and uncrosses her ankles. She sighed several times, eventually catching the attention of the secretary. Mac made a friendly smile, and the young woman forced a smug smile in return. Mac had a sudden urge to want to slap that woman. But she restrained herself and returned her gaze to the floor. 

 The intercom on the secretary's phone beeped, making Mac stir in her seat. She hoped the woman didn't see. 

"Yes, Mr. Newman?" The secretary answered perkily.

"You can send in the next interviewee."

"Yes, sir."

The secretary nodded at the door. "You can go in."

Mac clenched her jaw. "I heard." She mumbled.

The former Marine stood, the high heels digging into her feet. If this went well, she'd have to get used to wearing these every day again, instead of her comfortable tennis shoes. Mac knocked on the door, then entered. The office wasn't spectacular. Not like her office at Dalton's firm with a city view, but it was lavish enough with nice furniture and plenty of room.

Mr. Newman stood, giving a wide, crooked smile. Mac stopped in her tracks, and she tried to hold back her surprise. The man was the splitting image of Mic. Mac swallowed, half expecting Mr. Newman to greet her with a, "G'day, mate!"

"Good afternoon, ma'am, I'm Matt Newman." He introduced himself with his very American accent, and he stuck out his hand. Mac shook it, her nerves calming a little. They sat down, and Newman whistled to himself as he skimmed through a paper on his desk, his finger going down over a list of names. 

"Uhhh...Mrs Rabbi, is it?"

Mac made a dry chuckle. "Uh, heh, no, Mrs. _Ra_bb."

"Oh, sorry." Newman apologized, though he didn't sound the least bit remorseful, "So, Mrs. Rabb, you were in the Army, right?"

"Marine Corps."

Newman waved his hand dismissively, his eyes still glued to the paper in front of him. "Ah, same thing."

Mac bit her tongue and let that slip. "I was a JAG lawyer most of my life," Mac opened her own briefcase, pulling out a folder, "This is my record of the cases I won...and lost."

Newman took it curiously, flipping it open and reading softly to himself. "Hm...mmhm...mm...this is impressive, Mrs. Rabb."

Mac smiled, feeling it was the first thing correct to come out of that man's mouth. "Thank you, Mr. Newman."

"But, uh," Mac tensed...there was a, 'but,' "but it looks like the last case you did was about fifteen years ago."  

Mac bit her lip. "That's true. I retired to start a family. But I've been brushing up, reviewing old cases. I don't think I've lost anything..." Mac could see the dwindling interest in Mr. Newman's expression. 

The awkward silence that followed was interrupted by Mac's cell phone. The jingle was to an old Beatles song, and Mac gasped. She reached for her purse, ripping the top flap open. She grabbed for whatever was on top, and brought out a little plastic bag containing the toy racecar. Mr. Newman's brow rose and Mac's mouth hung open.

"It—it belongs to my kids, they—they were fighting over it—" Mac stopped trying to explain and dug for her phone. She finally found it and pulled it out. "Excuse me a moment, it's my husband." Mac stated quickly when she saw the phone number. The woman hurried out of the office into the waiting room, finally able to answer the phone. 

"Harm?"

"_Mac, I just got a call from Grace's school._" 

It was a tone Mac hadn't heard from her husband in a very long time. "What's wrong?"

"_She's missing!_"

***

1758 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown

Grace's anger completely fell away when she saw Harm and Mac. In fact, as soon as she saw them, both looking angry and tired, she jumped from her chair and ran to them, hugging them both. Then it was down to business. During the cab ride to her house, Grace listened to them explain how they came forward, and ended up in jail. Grace shook her head. 

"I don't get it. Why didn't you guys, you know, disappear once I left?"

Harm sighed, biting his lip. "That woman...Mrs. Nelson."

Grace made a little gasp. "Nolson..." She corrected him, but her mind had gone elsewhere. Her mouth was agape and she buried her face in her hands. "Oh my God, Nolson, why didn't I remember that?! _She_ has to come back too!"

The rest of the ride they spent in silence. Harm and Mac knew Grace was mentally kicking herself. And she should probably be left alone in her own torments. 

 Grace thought it best for Harm and Mac to come to her house for food and showers and clothes. Then she would get them to a motel until they figured out exactly what they would do. 

Grace finished making them sandwiches, and Mac came into the kitchen, a bath towel wrapped around her wet head. Harm almost choked on his food when he saw her. 

"Nice fashion statement." He teased. 

Mac childishly stuck her tongue out at him, and Grace couldn't help but smile. They were so much more youthful. Sure, her current parents still picked on each other, but it wasn't as realistic when they looked so much older. 

As soon as Mac saw the sandwich that Grace had made for her, the woman's eyes bulged and she grabbed the food, shoving it into the mouth. Mac was no doubt ravenous, having missed breakfast, her favourite meal, and most of the lunch hour now gone. 

 Grace smile bent into a frown, and her insides suddenly went numb. The deadbolt at the front door clacked and the door opened. Grace's lips parted, and Mac and Harm looked up from their meals. 

"GRACE?!" 

"Oh, God." She said breathlessly. 

Harm and Mac didn't need an incentive from Grace to hide. The two jumped out of their seats and squeezed into the walk-in pantry on the other side of the room. Grace closed the double pantry doors as her parents breezed into the kitchen. 

***

TBC

***

Heehee, hope ya like. See ya'll next week!  


	2. Double Vision

Thank you all for such a warm welcome back!!!

LadyJadePerendil: LoL, thank you!! I can't wait for you to see what happens next! Hehehe, it's gonna be so much fun writing this, with two Harm and Macs plus the kids, omg, lol. And no Quantum Leap and no The One, I want this to be original as possible!! Thanks again and see ya next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*1*~ on the review list!!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, JADE!!!!!!!!!

ArwenUndomiel: Yay! Aw, thank you so much! All of that keeps me going!! Ohhohoho, you can bet they'll meet, lol. But I won't tell you what happens when they do ;). You'll hafta read and find out...muahaha...lol....mmm, I know that chapter should have been longer. I'm bad, I didn't work on it all week, so I didn't have much time. I'm trying to get better and get out of that bad habit. It will still be a week, I don't think it can be any shorter than that, but I will try to make the chapters at least 6000 words. :) Thanks and see ya next week!

Domintel: LOL, thank you! Ohhh, my fp.net stories need a lot of work *hides head in shame*....which one did u read? Heeheehee, you should have gotten my reviews for your story and poems!!! They're wonderful!!! :D LoL, and advertising is just fine! I love reading my reviewers' work!!! Thank you again and see ya next week!

Cmaf: LOL, hey, did you get my email I sent last week? It was right before I uploaded this story. Anywho, thank you! Yeah, it was a lot of fun writing this chapter. Yes, I did enjoy my coffee break, but I felt sad at the same time. I was actually excited to get back to writing again, I've really become addicted to these characters, I can't go without playing with them for long!! LoL, umm...sry, but it's gonna be a week. But I'm gonna work harder at making the chapters much longer! That counts, right??? :) Thanks again, and see ya next week!!! LOL, plz don't suffocate!!!! :)

e-dog: LoL, thank you. Heeheehee, well, I won't spoil the surprise, but the "encounter" should be interesting. Thanks again, and see you next week!!!

Pissed Off Poet: Thank you! The first chapter's always the hardest, glad you liked it!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Amanda Adams: Thank you! I'm happy to be posting again!! Thanks and see u next week!

Mimmi: Hey there! Thank you so much!! I'm so excited about writing with the two Harm and Macs, teeheehee :D. Yeah, I will have the same schedule. New updates will be every Friday EST time (I actually post late Thursday nights, but it doesn't come up on the board until Friday). LoL, thank you so much, that was a funny little scene to write and I had to get those two in trouble at some point! It seems in the show trouble always comes looking for them! :) Thank you and see ya next week!

Jagchick020: Thank you! Um, yeah, the young Harm and Mac came through into the future, where the present Harm and Mac are already there...insanity ensues, lol. And the reason why they didn't go poof, is because that little portal in time in still open because the old lady Mrs. Nolson didn't go back with Grace, which would have closed the "portal" and the young Harm and Mac would have gone "poof." God, I hope that makes sense, lol. But that's pretty much the objective of the story, getting Harm and Mac back so they can get Mrs. Nolson forward and close the "portal" (that word sounds really weird to be used in JAG...but then again, everything in scare tactics would never happen on the show, *snigger*). Anywho, lol, yeah, since danger seems to go looking for Harm and Mac, I thought that would be a funny little way to introduce them, lol. Thank you!  Teeheehee, two Harms in the world...heehee...one for u and one for me!!! LOL, *bangs head on desk* bad, bad, bad, bad...... :D 

No1special: Everybody's special! :) Thank you so much!!! Ah! And look! You're lucky number, ~*10*~ on the review list!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, SPECIAL!!!! 

Deb: Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing the first chappy!! Thank you and see ya next week!

Corinne: LOL, don't die! Thank you so much for such nice comments! I hope this turns out good!!! Thanks again and see you next week!

Mars: Thank you! I had fun writing the first one, and this just opens up so much for me to work with! Thank you again and see you next week!

BelovedOne: LOL, cliffhangers are evil, but oh so much fun, muahahaha...hehe. :) Thank you and see you next week!

CharmedMummy: LOL, wasn't that episode great??? I felt bad for Mikey though, hopefully that whole thing will get straightened out. And the last thing the SecNav said on the stand was heart-warming! Anywho, thank you so much! And yes, you will meet the infamous Mrs. Webb very very soooon! THAT I promise you...heeheehee...I know...2 Harm and Macs...what am I gonna do, lol, j/k, this is gonna be so much fun...muahaha...heeehee...Oh, and the "uncrosses," I'm well aware it's supposed to be, "uncrossed." That was an unfortunate typo that I missed when I proofread it. So sowwy :). Thank you and see ya next week!

Madelynne Rabb: LOL, I'm sorry! But cliffhangers are can be a good thing too! :), nah, i know, they suck, hehe...Thank you and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: Thank you! First chapters are hard, but I'm glad you liked it!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

GHeTtOnErD: Thank you! I had fun writing the first chapter!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Sunchaser2: Thank you! And an adventure I think it will be!! :D thanks and see you next week!

DD2: LoL, I'm sorry, DD, but I really do like having my full week! I don't think I could do it in any less time!!! Thank you and see ya next week!! ;) Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*20*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, DD!!!!!!

Carby24/7: Oh, you're welcome, lol, thank you for coming back to read it!!! Thank you, and see ya next week!!! 

Kstorm: LOL, ya, it seems danger looks for Harm and Mac, and I thought that would be a fitting introduction, lol, thanks!  See you next week!

NadaZimri: *shrugs sheepishly* it's not my fault! LOL, NO, STOP THE SINGING!!! I CAN'T TAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Cassie: Thank you, I try! LoL, see you next week!

Lili: Evil?? Muahahaha :)........lol, nah, I don't do evil too well, but if u insist! LoL, thank you, that means so much! See you next week!

Pennithil: LOL, oh yeah, remember that, "worst reprimand in Rabb history"??? Heh...we're gonna get a little taste of that....dun dun dun....*hides under desk* :) thank you, and see you next week :). 

Maggie: Heeheehee, what will happen??? Hmmm...one can only guess....muahahaha....I'm terrible, lol. Thank you and see ya next week!

Liz: Oh, thank you! I'm so glad you like this! It's great to have you! See ya next week!

Annie: LoL, thank you! Yes, reviews do keep me going ;). Hehe, and yes, time travelling is weird, and I know nothing like this would ever happen on JAG, but I'm happy to experiment with it, and I'm so glad you guys like it!! Aw, okay, yeah, H/M and Grace scenes are just so much fun to play around with. Thank you so much!!! See ya next week!!!

Moonlights Sundance: Aye! Welcome back! Thank you! Hehe, well, you can bet they will be mad, but this whole chapter is a little strange, lots of different emotions, hope it doesn't come out stupid. Heehee, the coffee break was good, but I did miss writing and it was so weird letting that whole week pass without updating, so I'm glad to be back. And thank you for reading!!! Oh, yayness, you're updating!!! I was wondering what you were going to do with that story, the first chapter gave me shivers!!! Thank you again and see ya next week ;). Ah, and look! You're lucky number ~*30*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, SUNDANCE!!!!!

(A/N): I have a recommendation! Everybody, you should all check out this great story, "The Courtship of Coates" written by NadaZimri. It's centered on PO Coates and is a delightful, romantic, and witty story with great chapters to come! Unfortunately, the link can't be uploaded, but do keep an eye out for it. Her first chapter has recently been uploaded!

 Also, this chapter is one of my filler chapters. Not exactly really long, but just trying to set a foundation. Hope it comes out right and isn't too awful boring!!!

~sancti

Chapter 2: Double Vision 

1932 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown

 "Grace! My God, where have you been?!" 

Grace stood rigidly in front of the pantry as her mother tore across the room and engulfed her in a hug. Her father breathed a sigh of relief, but anger slowly traced across his face, and she looked away. 

When Mac finally let go, she grabbed her daughter's shoulders and gently shook her. "Where have you _been_?" She asked again, her voice trembling with a hint of anger.

Grace looked from one parent to the other. 

"Um..."

Inside the pantry, Harm and Mac stood uneasily in the dark, each silent. But Mac could feel the blood pumping in her ears. She heard _her_ voice...yet it wasn't _her_ talking. Mac wished she could see Harm's expression through the dark, but the only light that managed to squeeze through came from under the door. She could only see her shoes. Suddenly, Harm's hand tightened on her shoulder. Mac listened tentatively 

"Grace, answer me, what have you been doing?!" Mac cringed as she heard herself talk that way to Grace.

"Come on, Grace." She whispered to herself. Harm's grip on her shoulder tensed again. 

Footsteps. Hard, purposeful footsteps. "We have travelled from here to DC looking for you, wondering just where the hell you were, if—if you were in a ditch somewhere—"

It was Harm. Mac really wished she could see her fiancé's expression now. She tried to judge what he was feeling by the hand that was still on her shoulder. It became warmer, and heavier. 

Finally, Grace spoke up, her voice shaky. "Look...I'm sorry about this, I—I skipped out of school because...because I needed to help a friend."

"What friend?" Her father demanded. 

"Uh—I...can't tell you that, because of my friend, I can't tell you. But...please believe me, I wasn't doing anything wrong."

Mac had to admit it, the kid could lie. 

The room grew quiet, but the anxiety was so thick, Mac could feel it crawling on her skin and she squirmed a little bit. The pantry was starting to get awfully warm. Harm's hand had, if possible, gripped her shoulder even tighter. 

Outside the pantry, Grace shakily awaited a reply from one of her parents. Her father had sat down at the table and her mother was still standing in front of her, her eyes to the floor. Grace wasn't sure what to do, and she had a feeling her parents didn't either. She'd never done anything worth them getting riled up about. Well, except for her little escapade to that stupid Halloween party. But her parents had gotten over it within the time she was grounded. They had taken that time to talk things out. _Really_ talk. Grace never remembered being that close to the both of them since she was little. Now, it seemed her parents were at a loss as to how to handle the situation. So Grace figured she'd help them along a little bit. 

"Um...I know you guys are angry, and I understand that, but—"

"You could _never_ understand what we just went through, Grace." He was doing it again. Grace was feeling incredible guilt. How did he do that?! Her father always managed to not really yell, but just make her feel so guilty!

"Then...I'm sorry."

Her mother sighed, seeming to break the tension a little. "Look, you—you're safe, that's what matters." It was like she was talking more to herself.

Harm looked up, his brow creasing as he saw the food at the table and the kitchen counter. "What's with all this food?"

Grace froze. It did look awkward. The sandwich at the table was mostly eaten, and the one on the counter had two big bites in it. Grace shrugged a shoulder.

"I couldn't decide what I wanted?" She didn't mean for it to sound like a question. 

Her parents exchanged glances, and she knew they weren't buying it. Suddenly, her father's eyes peered around the kitchen suspiciously. As his eyes wandered around the room, they fell back on Grace, and the pantry doors behind her. Grace gulped. Her father stood slowly, his gaze falling past his daughter as he walked closer. Finally, he stood next to his wife. 

"Is someone else here?"

Grace shook her head a little too quickly. "Of course not."

Mac glanced over Grace's shoulder. Harm took a step forward and Grace backed away a step, her back bumping into the doors. 

The phone suddenly rang and all of them flinched. Mac sighed, turning away and stepping across the room to the wall phone and answered it. Grace gulped in relief. She now had a deep respect for the saying, "saved by the bell." Before her father could scrutinize the situation any further, he was distracted by what Mac was saying across the room. 

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry, are they okay??...All right, yeah, I'm sorry about this, we had a bit of an...emergency, I'll be there in fifteen minutes...thank you...mmhm...bye." Mac hung up the phone, then snatched her purse from the table. 

"Jake and Isabelle have been waiting for you to pick them up for a half hour."

Harm groaned remorsefully. "Oh—no, you stay here, I'll get them."

"Wha—shouldn't you go back to work—" Mac stopped when she saw Grace shaking her head a little as if to say, "Don't leave me here with him and his rage..."

Harm put his cover on, not noticing Grace's movement. "I can't possibly go back to paperwork after _this_ afternoon." With one foot out the kitchen door, he turned and pointed at Grace, "This isn't over."

Grace inwardly grimaced at the look on his face. When her father left, and the front door could be heard closing, Mac jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

"Let's go into the living room and talk this out some more, okay?" 

Grace hesitated. A man and a woman who had just jumped seventeen years into the future were hiding in her pantry. But what else could she do? 

 Grace inched away from the pantry and followed her mother out of the kitchen, giving fleeting glances over her shoulder. 

***

1946 ZULU

Rabb Pantry

Harm and Mac each stood with their ears to the door. 

Mac swallowed hard. "You think they're gone?"

Harm shrugged. "I don't hear anything. Let's go."

"No, somebody could come in!" Mac grabbed her fiancé's hand as he reached for the handle.

Harm gently shook her hand off. "Mac, we can't stay in this pantry forever," He replied in a harsh whisper, "Someone's bound to want a snack!"

"We should wait for Grace!" Mac argued. 

"There's probably no one out there, we'll slip out the back door and get to a motel."

Mac contemplated this, knowing that if she could see Harm's face, he'd have those pleading eyes wide open. 

"Do you have money?"

Mac listened to the rustling of him taking out his wallet. "Well, hopefully these four bills aren't singles."

Mac checked her own pockets, but only found what felt like an old receipt. Sighing, Mac nodded at the door. "All right."

Harm squeezed in front of Mac, grasping the door handle. He turned it, pushing the door open enough for him to peek out. He squinted his eyes as the light filtered in, then slipped out of the pantry, Mac right behind him. They both made for the back door that connected to the kitchen, and Harm tugged at the handle. The color from his face drained.

"It—it won't open."

Mac pulled and twisted the doorhandle herself, but to no avail. "There has to be a lock or something—"

"There's nothing on the handle!"

"Harm, it's a _door_, it's meant to be opened, just keep looking!"

A moment later, the now familiar clink of the deadbolt was heard from the front door. 

***

1947 ZULU

Grace wasn't really listening to her mother who wouldn't stop talking about how she had a responsibility to be a role model for her siblings, and that if she kept going the way she was, blah, blah, blah. No, Grace wasn't listening. She kept thinking about those two people hiding in her pantry. And a plan formulated in her mind. Hopefully, they would stay in there until she came. They probably didn't have much if any money and with the growing snowstorm, neither of them would get to a motel without catching pneumonia...

"Grace, are you even listening to me?"

She stirred and jerked her head towards her mother. "Sure."

Mac nodded slowly. "So you understand what I mean? I—we can't take much more of this. Your father can't take it, the kids are confused..."

Grace did share one thing with her mother that she was proud of. Though she could, and very easily, get worried about her, Mac was always level headed about it. She knew what kind of person her daughter was, and wouldn't believe she'd be doing anything dangerous or immoral. Now it wasn't to say Harm didn't think so, he was just typically more worried about that sort of thing. 

"So, you see where I'm going with this, Grace?"

Before she could answer, the front door opened and the familiar patter of little feet ran into the foyer. Mac shot up from the couch.

"Get those shoes off!"

This was the time. Grace followed her mother into the foyer, and then quickly slipped past them into the kitchen. She heard a sudden a nagging shriek from Isabelle, then Jake yelling some kind of accusation against the little girl. Perfect distraction. Grace stepped quickly to the pantry and swung the doors open.

"Hey guys, you can—"

_Empty...it's empty._

"Oh, God." She whispered to herself. 

Grace's eyes wandered around the rest of the kitchen. "Harm?! Mac?!" She said in a stage whisper. She desperately tore open floor cabinets and even checked under the table, though it was a ridiculous place to hide. They wouldn't be able to get out the back door...they must have slipped into the dining room. Grace whipped around and dashed into that room to see them next to the doorway that led right into the foyer. Grace waved them over, and the two followed her back into the kitchen. 

"What are you guys doing?!"

Harm sighed. "We were hoping to get out the front door, but there's a bit of...commotion."

Grace snorted, then backed up to the counter, leaning against it. "All right, we have to get you out of this house," she crossed her arms as she thought through a plan. After about half a minute, her eyes lit up, "okay, I got it. I'm going to create a distraction with them, then you'll go upstairs to my room. Stay there until I come, then I'll call a cab, and you guys can climb down the pergola outside my window. Get to a motel and call me from there. Got it?"

The two officers exchanged glances. "I...guess that will work." Mac replied hesitantly.

Grace nodded confidently, but didn't feel it. She wasn't sure if it would work. But there wasn't much of a choice. "Okay, when it gets loud, get upstairs. My room is the second door on the right."

Grace left the kitchen and joined her family in the foyer. Isabelle and Jake sat on the floor exchanging faces while trying to get their boots and snow gear off. Her parents stood at the front door talking quietly to each other. Knowing this was going to hurt, Grace closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and let her body fall to the floor. Everyone in the room gasped and her parents were on their knees next to her, shaking her.

"Grace?! Grace, can you hear me?!"

Meanwhile, Harm and Mac peeked out of the kitchen and saw all the four people with their backs to them huddled around Grace. Taking the opportunity, the two as quietly as they could, got to the stairway and up the steps. 

Isabelle had never seen anyone faint before, so as much as she was worried about her sister, it would make for an exciting story to tell at school. She could picture it now, her peers gathered around her as she told the thrilling story of her big sister who suddenly passed out—

"Isabelle, go put some cold water on a couple paper towels!" Her mother suddenly ordered. 

A little annoyed by the interruption of her daydream, the girl sighed dramatically as she stood. And when she turned around, two figures caught her eye as they disappeared at the top of the stairs. Isabelle's little brow furrowed as she slowly walked up to the stairway. When she reached the top of the stairs, she caught the sight of her big sister's door clicking shut. Isabelle froze there. At first, she was afraid. What if they were ghosts? But then she realized it would make for an even _more_ entertaining story to brag about. A little grin laced across her face as she softly stepped up to the bedroom door. She grasped the handle and turned it.

***

Thinking it was plenty of time for them to get upstairs, Grace let her eyes flutter open to see the relief on her parents' faces. Her mother's hand reached down on her forehead. 

"Thank God." Her father said under his breath. 

"Isabelle, where are those paper towel—"

Suddenly, a high, shrill scream erupted from upstairs and four heads jerked around. 

"Isabelle?!"

Harm was the first to reach the top of the stairs with Mac on his heels and Grace and Jake in hot pursuit. The four raced into Grace's bedroom where the scream had come from, but Grace and her brother bumped into her parents who had stopped short. The room was deathly silent and Grace slowly moved around her parents, as if among rabid animals and any sudden movements would disturb them. 

 But boy was it a sight. 

These four people were seventeen years apart, one pair young and vibrant, the other older and wiser. And they simply stared. Grace guessed it was the only reaction they could conjure at that moment. The two Harms and two Macs studied each other as if looking in a mirror. They all made a variety of expressions, mostly that of confusion. Grace stepped in between them, taking a deep breath and facing her parents. But their eyes looked past her. 

"Okay—Mom...Dad...I know this is...weird, but—we should all just stay calm, okay?"

Neither of them answered. Meanwhile, Jake and Isabelle peeked their heads out from behind their parents, staring intently at these strange, yet strongly familiar people.

Grace sniffed and took in another shaky breath, suddenly feeling like she was the only one who needed to calm her nerves. 

"All right...Mom...Dad...it's a little hard to explain, um," Grace glanced over at the newcomers, "_this_...but...I'm working on how to get them, you know—back."

For the first time, her mother turned her neck to look at her daughter, her eyes wide, but her expression blank. "What?"

Grace watched in horror as her mother's eyes rolled up into her head and the woman fell to the floor. 

"Mom?!"

Isabelle screamed and suddenly both Harms got to the floor next to the fallen woman. 

"Mac?!" They both yelled in unison. 

Their heads whipped up and they looked at each other, Grace's father giving Harm a somewhat hostile stare. Harm backed away to where his fiancé stood. Grace joined her father next to Mac, putting a hand on her forehead. 

"It's hot." She murmured, her voice shaky. 

Isabelle timidly walked over. "Is she gonna be all right?!"

Harm quickly nodded at his daughter. "Yeah, don't worry, baby, she'll be fine. Jake—take her."

Jake grabbed his little sister's arm. "Come on, let's get those paper towels."

Grace watched nervously as her father picked up his wife, placing her on the bed. Meanwhile, Harm and Mac stood rigidly in the middle of the bedroom, watching and not sure what to do with themselves. A moment later, Jake and Isabelle dashed into the room with the wet paper towels. Harm folded the towels, placing them carefully on his wife's forehead and dabbing her cheek and neck. After a couple tense minutes, the woman's eyelids quivered open, her brown eyes slowly wandering around. They landed on her husband and the smallest of a smile played across her lips. 

Harm took her hand, sighing. "You all right?" 

She didn't answer, but tried to sit up. Harm wouldn't let her. "Don't, you might faint again."

Mac groaned, leaning her head back down on the pillow. Harm stroked a lock of her short hair. "Get some rest." 

With that, the admiral stood straight, facing the two adults who still stood tensely in the middle of the room. His eyes flicked back and forth, then finally, he turned to his children.

"Wait outside, close the door."

Grace's brow furrowed. "What?! Dad, I think I have a say in this—"

"_Now_." Her father ordered.

Grace scoffed, turning sharply on her heel, then herding her brother and sister of the room. With one last sour look, she closed the door.

***

2049 ZULU

Grace felt herself nodding off and she stirred, leaning her head back against the wall. Isabelle and Jake slept peacefully in her arms as the three of them sat on the floor across from Grace's bedroom. It had been a solid hour since Grace had closed that door and left the events that would take place inside that room to simple fate. She couldn't even figure out what they were talking about in there. Her door and walls were well insulated, so putting her ear up to it was useless. 

 Jake and Isabelle had given up asking questions since Grace didn't answer them, and they both eventually drifted into their naps. So the only thing Grace listened to was the strong wind that crashed against the house. The storm was growing worse and Grace figured there wouldn't be any school the next day, which was fine. School would only complicate the already complex matters at hand. 

 Grace yawned for the umpteenth time. She'd now been awake for eleven hours, but it felt like about midnight. She checked her watch and saw it was almost 1600. She made a little groan. The day was ticking by so slowly. And she'd felt like a zombie through most of it. Letting out a lungful of air, Grace leaned her cheek down on Jake's red head, closing her eyes. 

 It felt like barely two minutes had passed when her door gradually opened. Grace flinched and sat up, her movement stirring her siblings awake. Grace's eyes glanced down at her watch and she was shocked to see forty minutes had gone by. 

 Grace stood, helping her brother and sister to their feet as the four adults filed out of the room. Grace's first concern was her mother, who looked a little pale, but otherwise fine. Harm and Mac were calm and collected and looked even a bit happy. Grace's father seemed the most subdued, however the look he gave his daughter almost frightened her. 

 "Isabelle, Jake, go to your rooms and do your homework." Harm ordered softly.

The two immediately rejected the idea. "But, Dad, what about—"

"We'll talk about it later, now go on."

***

2058 ZULU

Grace, her parents, and Harm and Mac all sat together in the living room, where a fire had been started to warm the place up a bit more. It also served well for mood. Grace fumbled with her hands a bit, but no one could really see since she had a blanket over her legs and hands. 

 Her father leaned forward in his armchair, crossing his hands. "We, um...talked a lot about what happened...what happened to _you_..."

Grace felt a lump form in her throat and she looked down. 

Her father bit his lip. This was all hard for him as well as for her mother. When Harm became the Judge Advocate General, it sealed a lot of facts. His adventures would be over. There wouldn't be any danger seeking him anymore. His current worries weren't about being shot at or kidnapped or taken hostage or any of the other numerous things that seemed to threaten his life as a JAG lawyer. No, his real life responsibilities came into play: raising a family, providing for them, loving them...making sure they were kept safe. But now he was being sucked back into that world he'd once knew. That world where even the things that seemed impossible had some truth to them. This was a good example. 

 But he was rusty. He wasn't as open-minded anymore. Not like the younger man sitting across from him. But still, he tried. 

"Grace...I understand why you...didn't tell us about all of that...stuff. I probably would have never believed you. But, uh—"

He shook his head again rubbing a thumb over his temple. Grace couldn't figure it out. Was he angry? Sad? _Both_? Grace couldn't tell much from her mother. The woman looked a little dazed. 

 Harm and Mac were seated on the couch next to her, Mac sharing some of Grace's blanket. And so the room went back to being silent, the crackling fire the only sound and movement to suggest the scene was even real.

Then everyone flinched as the phone rang. Grace shivered as she grabbed the phone on the end table next to her. 

"Hello...Cathy, hi. No, Clay's not here, why? Yes, I know, Clay _Jr._, he's not here." Harm and Mac exchanged glances when Grace commented on, "Clay Junior." Grace's expression suddenly sunk, "what do you mean you haven't heard from him? Well, yeah, of course...all right, Catherine...hey, I'm sure fine...okay...bye."

Grace slowly hung up the phone, turning to the adults. "Clay's been missing since one o'clock...when I—when I left the school."

 In the background, the fierce wind pounded mercilessly on the siding of the house.  

***

TBC

***

I know...terribly short, many apologies. But for sake of having a nice, fuller chapter 3, I thought it best to leave it here. Plz don't hate me! 

~sancti


	3. Claysicle?

Thank you all!!!

NadaZimri: Thanky! LMSO, Claysicle, I like that, lol. Oh yes, I figured you deserved a nice recommendation :). LOL, well, get those sequences down on paper, girl!!! You'll forget stuff, I swear!!!

ArwenUndomiel: LOL, thank you. I was hoping the meeting wouldn't come out too awful cheesy with the fainting, but it was fun to write. Okay, thanks again, and see ya next week!

LadyJadePerendil: LoL, I'd thought I would add the fainting in there for good measure. Somebody had to faint, lol, thanks. Hehehe, yes, Clay Junior is missing. But now we'll actually see some of Clayton Sr. and his wife...hehe...thank you and see ya next week!

Domintel: LOL, oh, I know, cliffhangers are my friend and at times my worst enemy. Muahaha...heehee...Oh, Fall into Pharaoh's Domain needs a lot of work. I stopped it a while ago, but I know what the ending will be and most everything in between. But I think I will re-upload the story because there is much that needs to be changed. But I'm glad you like it. I like it too, I'm just frustrated with it, lol. Anywho, thanks again and see ya next week! 

SarahRabb705: Thank you! I thought that would be a funny little thing having both Harm's react to Mac's fainting, glad ya liked it, :D. Thank you and see ya next week!

e-dog: LOL, I thought it fitting for little Isabelle to stumble upon them. Funny stuff up ahead with those kids. Who is Cathy?? Well, ahem, who do ya _think_ it is?? Muahaha... :) Thank ya and see ya next week!

Mimmi: Thank you! Yes, I let out a little bit in the last chapter about what the Harms and Macs were discussing, but more of it will be brought out throughout the story. Especially what happened with Grace and Singer. Emotional teary stuff ahead :(. Yeah, it was kind of difficult at first, because I don't want the young Harm and Mac to be mistaken for the older version. I hope it wasn't too confusing :). Thank you again and see ya next week!

Eggy Weg: Thank you so much!!! Oh gosh, every word, now I'll really have to pay attention to spelling :). Thanks!

Pissed Off Poet: LOL, I know, I can't imagine being those little kids, they have NO idea what's going on :(. LOL, well, I think this will be the only sequel. When I finished Scare Tactics, I really wanted to experiment more with Grace's character, her siblings, and her older parents. But then the idea for the young Harm and Mac to come forward was just irresistible. Anywho, thanks again, and see ya next week!

Maggie: Thank you! Ah, and I can't wait for you to read what awaits you!! :D. Thank you and see you next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*40*~ on the review list!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, MAGGIE!!!!!!

Gillian-Marie: Hi there! Oh, thank you! LoL, hope I didn't get you in trouble! Oooh, I can't wait for you to read the interaction between Harm and Mac #1 and Harm and Mac#2, hehe. Thank you and see ya next week!

Pennithil: Hey! Thank you! Gosh, I wish I could update sooner, but, arg, life interferes *grumble*. Thanks for reviewing and see ya next week!

Moonlights Sundance: Hey there! LoL, over the rainbow, hehe, well, depending on his current mental state, who knows.... :D....lol, oh my *cringes* quite a flame you gave me ;)....okay, I know, I just feel so bad when you guys get ripped with a short chapter. I can write longer ones, I just need to train myself a little better. Ohhh, and I'm addicted to cliffhangers though. They're fun...muahahaha...:D.....thank you for reviewing! Awww, pleeeeease update your story!!!! :)....see ya next week!  
CharmedMummy: Aw, thank you! Yay, I'm not hated!!! *does little happy dance*...thank you, that first part of the last chapter was fun to write. I keep trying to experiment with suspense, and I hope I'm getting a little better! Hehehehe, I didn't think it was fair to keep Mrs. Webb a mystery for much longer!!! There will be more with Webb and Catherine either in this chapter or the next. Probably this chapter. Ohhhhh, darn, I totally messed up the time thing!!! Arg, and I had changed the time when proof-reading the story, and that one got screwed up, grr...thank you for telling me, I'm gonna try to fix it here soon!! LoL, friendly proof-reading fairy, that's good, lol. I don't like when ppl just look for everything bad and don't tell me anything _good_ about the story. You're the best friendly proof-reading fairy yet!!!! :) thanks...see ya next week!!

GHeTtOnErD: Yay, I wrote your name just like you did!!! :D...actually, I copied and pasted, my eyes get confused trying to write ur name, lol. Thank you!!! Ohhh, I dunno...now that I know a lotta ppl at jagfans, I'm a little nervous...mmm....I'll think about it. Thanks for the vote of confidence though!!! See ya next week!!

Macicat: Muahahaha...hehe..i'm terrible, lol. Thank you! LoL, yes, well, there is gonna be a little angry friction between Mac and her young Harmy!!! It's not too bad, you'll see what I mean in the first part of the chapter! Thank you and see ya next week!

Lili: Aw, thank you. I really do feel bad when I give u guys a short chapter...I'm trying to get better!! Thank you, and u have a great week too! See ya next week!!!

Winnie bear: Oh, thank you!!! I can't wait for you to _read_ this chapter!! :D much thanks and see ya next week!!!

Starryeyes: Why, thank you!!! See ya next week!

Cmaf: Thank you! Oh, this is a stupid question...you have (imho) in ur last review...*sigh*..I'm at a loss at to what that means *shakes head*...lol, anywho, yeah, I still reeeally need a whole week to do this. I actually spend a condensed 4 days writing a chapter, but after Thursdays, I really like to have my weekend, cause I'm usually out with friends. During the week is actually when I have more time O.o .....you guys suffering from _heat_?? Wow, send some of it to us, we're icicles!!! :D....I finally put my email addy in my profile, you can find it there! Thanks and see ya next week!!! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*50*~ on the review list!! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, CMAF!!!!

Kate Conner: Oh, thank you!!! Scare Tactics was so much fun!!! Thank you for spending time reading that and this one!! Thanks and see ya next week!!

Cassie: Hi there! Twists are fun, hehehe..glad you like it! Thanks and see ya next week!

BrightFeather: Why thank you! Strong narrative voice? Really? Wow, thanks, I try, :). Oh, and my other story you reviewed, Unstable, needs a lot of work, but thank you for your review!! It means a lot!! Thanks and see ya next week! 

Jagchick105: Heyheyhey! LoL, congratulations, you review HAS COME THROUGH! Hey that rhymes...ANYwho...yeah, having two Harms should be delightfully confusing for everybody :)...(and just plain delightful for us, muahahaha.... :D). Oh, "Impostor" is one of my fav episodes!!! I—I dunno, there's just something likable about Palmer, arg, it's hard to explain, he's a villain...but a cool villain. But anywho, yeah, I love having 2 harms...hehe...why thank ya very much, and see ya next week!!! :) 

Chapter 3: Claysicle? 

2104 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia

 The first shiver that went up Grace's spine made her flinch. Reality started to set in, and the fears came crashing down with it. She slowly pushed the blanket aside, sliding her legs to the floor. 

"It's my fault," she said above a whisper, "he was going after me."

"Now, Grace, it could be nothing—" Her mother tried to point out, but Grace shook her head stubbornly.

"No—no, I told him he shouldn't drive that car around during the winter. That stupid car he tried to fix up on his own, it—it's probably stalled in the middle of nowhere—"

Mac put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, triggering Grace's body to relax a little. 

Grace's father had gotten to the phone moments after Grace hung up. He was talking to Webb.

"Yeah, there are two choppers out there...they're using infer-red...yeah...all right..."

Grace sighed sharply and got to her feet, heading out of the living room.

"Where are going?" Her mother called after her.

"To throw up." Grace mumbled so none of them could hear. 

The admiral was still on the phone, rambling on about military procedures, and every once and a while trying to calm Webb down. Grace's mother sat uncomfortably from the people across from her. 

 Feeling the need to occupy himself, Harm stood, nodding at his fiancé and the older woman across the room.

"I'm...gonna get some water."

The women nodded and Harm walked briskly out of the room. As soon as he left the doorway though, he stopped abruptly at the stairs, where two children both gasped and started a little in surprise. Harm made a little half smile. So his future children were eavesdroppers...

Harm spread a wider smile. "Hi."

The boy narrowed his dark eyes. "...Hi." He replied, suspicion in his tone. 

Harm put a foot on the first stair, leaning his arms on his bent knee. "What are your names?"

The little girl spoke first with some enthusiasm. "Isabelle."

The boy bit his lip. "Jake."

Harm liked the names, but somehow pictured Mac liking them more. 

 Jake swallowed, his eyes glazed with confusion and curiosity. "Okay, so, my Uncle Bud told me about this stuff. He's told me about how aliens can travel through space and time through wormholes...so first...are you an alien?"

Harm chuckled, and he smiled to the floor before picking his head back up. "No, I'm not."

Though a little disappointed by Harm's answer, Jake seemed to become more interested by the second. "So...did you come through a wormhole?"

Harm struggled to find a reasonable answer. "Um, well—something like that...I think."

"Are you my daddy?" Isabelle chimed in, "You look a whole lot like him..."

Before Harm could begin to conjure any kind of answer to that, someone walked up behind him.

"Hey, guys, did you finish your homework?"

Harm shivered at the woman's voice. It was certainly Mac's, but had a stern parental tone to it. It was a tone he'd only heard used when she spoke to Chloe. The kids groaned.

"Moommm, come on, how can we do homework at a time like this?!" Jake argued. 

"Both of you go and I'll be up to check it in a minute."

The two muttered to each other as they stood and clomped up the stairs. Harm smiled at their stubbornness, but the smile disappeared when he saw the woman's face. Mac turned her back to the stairs and suddenly brought her face inches within Harm's. Her brown eyes pierced his own angrily. 

"What did you think you were doing?" She hissed.

Harm's brow creased. "Just talking to them—"

The woman raised her finger to his face. "You're confusing them." 

Harm scoffed. "They're already confused!"

"Exactly—which is why I don't need you confusing them any more. Just stay away from them, you've already interfered in one of my kid's life."  

With that, Mac turned around sharply and started up the stairs. Harm stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, then decided he wanted to have the last word.

"They seem like great kids." 

She halted and twisted her torso towards him. Her expression had softened a little, but she was clearly trying to stay mad at him. "Yes, they are," Her eyes hardened again, "and even though you may share DNA with them, don't make the mistake in thinking they're yours."

Leaving that for Harm to think about, Mac swiftly climbed the rest of the stairway. It appeared Harm wouldn't get the last word after all. 

***

Mac sat with her hands in her lap as she listened to the Admiral (a rank that she couldn't get used to seeing Harm as) talk to Webb over the phone. He was trying to calm him down again. For some reason, she wanted to smile. She remembered Grace asking last year if she'd had any relationship with Webb. She tried to picture what that would be like. Probably many cancelled dates and interrupted dinners. She couldn't figure out how Clayton's mother ever lived that way, and manage to stay sane. 

 The thoughts shook from her head when she heard the click of the receiver next to her. Sighing, Grace's father sat down next to her, covering his eyes with his hand. Mac scooted away from him a little bit, but he grabbed her hand, she gasped, also scaring Harm, and he started, snatching his hand away. When he saw Mac's startled face, he closed his eyes and made a little groan.

"I'm—sorry, I thought you were...my wife."

Mac broke a little smile and shrugged a shoulder. "You were half right."

He forced a laugh, which stopped as fast as it had come and stared down at the floor. Meanwhile, Mac continued to scoot away so they were a cushion apart from each other.  

"Where's your...fiancé?" He asked as his eyes peered around the living room.

Mac nodded at the doorway. "He went to get water."

More silence. Mac couldn't stand it. "So, you still have Sarah?"

Harm's brows drew in.

"...Your biplane."

"Oh, yeah, I still get 'er in the air every once and while."

Mac knew the man wouldn't stop flying no matter how old he got. She dug through her memories about the times she'd flown with Harm. "You remember the first time you took me up? You had to land in that field."

The man chuckled. "Heh, yeah, and we ended up becoming the pray of insane bounty hunters."

Mac had to smile. "I still have a scar on my thigh from that damn buck shot." She muttered.

"Yeah, I know."

Mac looked up and over at Harm. He was smiling at the floor before he realized she was staring at him. "I—I've had three kids with you, remember? Well, not with _you_, but—you know what I mean."

The awkward silence was present again for a moment before Mac was too uncomfortable to stay in the room any longer. She stood, straightening her shirt. "I, uh, better find my fiancé, he probably got lost trying to find the kitchen."

***

2117 ZULU

Harm stared at the sink, holding the glass close to him. His eyes narrowed in confusion as his thirst became severe but his fear more prevalent. He couldn't figure out how to work this faucet for the life of him, and he'd spent a grand total of six minutes going over what exactly the function was for those four nobs sticking out of the faucet. He couldn't believe he was afraid to touch it. He kept devising the worst possible scenarios in his mind. And he wasn't about to call for help on how to get the stupid sink to work. He'd figure this out on his own. So the Naval officer stood there for another sixty seconds as his right hand crept its way closer to the faucet. Harm held his body away as far as possible and closed one eye as he turned the little knob attached to the head of the faucet. He flinched when a steady stream of water poured out. 

 Frowning, he twisted the knob in the opposite direction and the water stopped. He then turned the knob on the other side of the faucet, causing a steaming hot flood of water to flow out. Harm chuckled. That was a good idea. It cut down the time you'd have to usually wait to get hot water or ice water. So only wanting cold water, he poured some in the glass, and left the two other knobs a mystery as far as their function.

 A second later, his Mac strolled into the kitchen while Harm was in mid-sip. He quickly chugged a few large gulps to make it look like he'd been drinking longer than he had. As Mac came over, she peered at the sink, her lips parting when she saw the faucet. "How...the hell does that thing work?"

Harm shrugged. "It's not too complicated."

Mac sighed, moseying over to the kitchen table and sitting down heavily. "I don't think I can last here."

Harm grunted as he sat down next to her. "Tell me about it. I think Mac...Sarah...Mrs. Rabb—whatever, I think she hates me."

"Why?"

"I was talking to her kids and she blew up at me."

"Well, Harm, can you even imagine what it's like for them?"

Harm made a dry chuckle. "I think so. When Grace came into our lives..."

"No, I mean, besides that. When we found out this could happen, we had to deal with it ourselves," Mac tried to explain, "But they have to deal with their kids, who can't possibly understand what's going on right now."

Harm drained the rest of his water before replying. "Jake thinks we came through a wormhole."

"A what?"

Harm tapped his fingers on the table. "A space...time...continuum..." Harm shrugged, "...thing."

Mac stared at him blankly for a moment before a little smile played across her lips. "Right." Mac leaned back in the chair, slumping down in it. "So what do you make of this, 'Clay Junior'?"

"Well, first I can't believe Webb found a wife."

This sparked something in Mac's eyes and she straightened her spine in her chair. "Did you hear what Grace called his wife?"

Harm thought for a second, then his mouth opened a little in shock. "...Catherine."

Mac nodded, a sly smile on her lips. "You think it's Catherine Gale? Your...ahem...wife?"

Harm rolled his eyes. "Mac..._Bud_ preformed the 'ceremony,' it was nothing."

"But you kissed her, didn't you?"

Harm felt himself getting trapped in a corner. "Mac, come on, it had to look genuine!"

"Well, just how 'genuine,' was it?"

"It wasn't! I was just doing the woman a favour!"

"A _pleasurable_ favour, I'm sure." Mac muttered.

"Mac, please, don't do this, we have enough to worry about."

The Marine sighed, shrugging her slender shoulders. "Fine."

The two turned their heads toward the kitchen door when Grace slowly walked in, a hand on her stomach. 

They both frowned in concern. "You all right, Gracie?" Mac asked, hesitantly getting to her feet. 

Grace put her hand up, signalling she didn't need Mac to get up. Instead, she pulled a chair out in between Mac and Harm and sat down. 

Harm gently shoved the girl's foot with his own. "How you doin', kiddo?"

She shook her head and made a little groan. "I never told him where I was going. I'm sure he was just worried about me."

Mac's maternal instincts were starting to kick in again, and she hated seeing the girl so depressed. "Don't worry, hun...Webbs have a way of surviving just about anything."

As soon at Mac said that, the room got dark and two little shouts could be heard from all the way upstairs. Harm sighed in the darkness.

"And what about us?"

***

2145 ZULU

Grace's mother finished lighting candles and snapped the lighter closed. Everyone was huddled around the dining room table. Grace's parents sat on the ends, Jake and Isabelle on the side, and Harm, Mac, and Grace on the other side. 

Grace's mother sat down, tightening her sweater around herself. It didn't take long for the house to get pretty cold and everyone had layers on. Isabelle hugged a tattered stuffed bear close to her pink cheeks and stared at the candles while Jake peered curiously across the table at Harm and Mac. Grace's father fiddled with his pocket organizer, cursing at it every once and a while. Grace's mother quietly nibbled on a piece of cheese, the candlelight glowing in her face, almost making her look younger. Harm and Mac were finishing the sandwiches they had abandoned a few hours ago, and Grace sat motionless and limp in her chair. 

 They heard from Webb a little while after the electricity went out, but it was just to tell them that the choppers hadn't found anything yet. Grace's father was having trouble with his Internet signal on his pocket organizer and couldn't reach a weather web page. But all you had to do was look out a window to see what the weather was like. Visibility was zero. The falling snow was thick and blew in all directions, wherever the savage wind could steer it. And the cold. The frigid cold. Who knew how low the temperature was now? And with the skies quickly darkening... 

 Grace shivered, thinking about Clay trapped somewhere in his car, probably freezing to death. Part of her was deathly afraid for him, the other was furious. Why did he have to come after her?! He was so stubborn sometimes. But part of her softened again as she remembered a month ago when she "came back." The entire time after they got her in the car and were back on the road, Clay wouldn't stop asking if she was all right, needed to go to the hospital, if she felt any pain. He was determined to find something for him to do. 

 Those were the times Clay actually acted like he cared. Because ever since they were little kids, all they really did was bicker and disagree. It was like that today even. But he'd softened since her "accident" at the mansion. Now he treated her like a piece of antique glass. Grace tried to act no different than she was before and nagged at him and teased like they always did. But he came back with no witty retort. Just a little smile and a shrug. To be truthful, it made her feel guilty when he didn't shoot back an insult or a stupid joke. He was being _nice_ to her. Then someone she hadn't thought about in a month entered her mind without warning. 

Eric. 

Grace felt that shiver travel up her spine as she remembered her last moments with him. Their brief kiss, his hand slowly slipping away from hers. She suddenly tried to imagine what his life was like now. Since she would have no intervention, she assumed he joined the CIA and was probably a field agent most of the time. Grace cringed, knowing he was most likely completely unhappy with his life. But she wasn't sure, and she suddenly thought when all this was behind her, maybe she'd look him up, just see what he was doing. Surely with the connections she had, she could at least look up his record. But then the CIA wasn't apt to giving out that kind of information, especially on field agents. You were lucky if they even admitted the person _worked_ for them. 

 Grace flinched when he felt someone nudge her elbow. She looked to her right and Harm nodded his head towards her father, who was talking to all of them. Grace gave Harm a small smile of thanks for waking her from her trance. He nodded again, then returned his attention to Admiral Rabb.

Grace's father was fiddling with the antenna of his cell phone as he addressed the family. "That was Webb...they found him."

Grace let out a little gasp and she was shocked to feel tears well in her eyes. Mac's hand covered her own and she breathed a little easier. 

"He was trapped in his car," her father continued, "He'd lost control on the road and ended up in a ditch. He couldn't get out of the car, and with the growing storm, even if he busted one of the windows, he wouldn't get far."

"Is he all right?" Grace asked shakily.

Her father sighed, staring at the flame of the candle in front of him. "He's being airlifted to Bethesda. He's dehydrated, suffering mild hypothermia. He hit his head when his car ran down the ditch, so he has a mild concussion. Webb doesn't know much more, the doctors are still examining him."

The room stayed silent for a moment before Isabelle spoke up. "What's hypothermia?" She asked, stumbling over the large word.

Grace put her head in her hands. 

_It could have been worse_. She kept telling herself. _It could have been worse._

***

0403 ZULU

Mac made a long sigh when she finally fell into bed. Her arm twinged a little in pain. She'd fallen on it when he fainted earlier. Nonetheless, she closed eyes, welcoming sleep. But it didn't come right away. The day's events twirled around in her mind like a dance, sweeping this and that, quite chaotically. The bed bent down a little as her husband slipped into it. He grunted when his head hit the pillow.

"I know," Mac said, as if they'd been having a conversation, "it's been a long one."

"Mmhm." Harm concurred, though he only sounded half awake. 

Mac suddenly thought about the two people asleep in her guest room. The whole thing was just creepy. When they were in Grace's bedroom earlier, they had explained everything. All the things that happened when Grace was with them...everything with Singer. That hurt the most. She knew something was off with her daughter, but she _never_ suspected that she'd witnessed something like that. Though it did explain a lot. Grace had experienced mood swings, and other odd behaviour. A car door would slam and she'd get rigid, practically jump out of her skin. She hardly ever stayed home alone. If she knew she'd have no choice, she'd beg to stay at a friend's house. 

 Mac couldn't conjure any reason why she was like this. But now she had an explanation, and it only made her feel worse. She should have been there for her. Yet, in a way, she was...but wasn't. That woman down the hall was _not_ Grace's mother. She didn't give birth to her. She didn't teach her how to walk, talk. She didn't watch her grow. And in a way, Mac repulsed the woman. She saw her as immature, almost...but it was _her_. A carbon copy, physically and mentally. The whole thing was confusing and mind boggling, and Mac was simply too tired to try and figure it out. 

 Next to her, Harm snored softly. Somehow, he'd found a way to clear his mind. 

Today was rough. She couldn't _imagine_ what tomorrow would bring. Mac shivered pulled the covered to her chin. Tomorrow would be a true test of her patience...and sanity.

***

TBC

***

Okay, another filler chapter. I swear, good stuff comes next week. Hey, and a little request. My dad had knee surgery today, could everyone pray for a speedy recovery?!?! Thank you and see ya'll lata.

~sancti


	4. Cuban Music Sets the Mood

Thank you all very much!!!

ArwenUndomiel: Hehe, thank you! I'm growing mildly obsessed with everyone's reviews. I swear, I jump to the computer, like, every hour to check my email...*shakes head* it's very sad...Clay Jr. will be okay, and he has changed some as you'll see more of ahead. I miss Eric too!!! But, he's gonna be twice as old, due to time (*darn it*), but we will still see him. Thank you! We can use all the prayers we can get for my dad!!! Yes, I'm trying to make this hard on the older Mac, because it should be, lol. Oh, you'll see what I mean further ahead. Anywho, thanks again and see you next week!

Domintel: Aw, hehe, thank you for such nice comments!! 40 degrees Celsius? Oy, I can't remember how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, but from what it sounds like, it's pretty warm!!! It's just starting to warm up here, we've had it pretty darn cold for a while now. Well, I hope all works out for ya!!! LOL, I do hope the double Mac and Harms aren't too confusing!!! :) thanks and see ya next week!

Gillian-Marie: Thank you! Oh, gosh, it's been a little difficult trying to make sure everybody knows who I'm talking about, lol. It was daunting when I first starting thinking up ideas for this story. I was like, "how the heck am I going to be able to distinguish the two?!" So, yeah, hearing you say that is a big relief to me, lol. Thank you and see ya next week :).

Mimmi: Hiya! Hehe, yeah, there will be some "ouch" moments here in the future between the Harms and the Macs. You know me, I have to have a little angst in here. :D. Hehe, I miss Eric too. He was fun to write about. But he'll be in here, it'll just be different because he'll be twice as old as the last time Grace saw him. A bit of shocker when she does run into him! Oh, my, you hit it right on the T! Older Mac being jealous of young Mac is exactly what I was going for, and will be demonstrated here. Thank ya very much and see ya next week!

Pennithil: Thank you! He needs all the prayers he can get!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

e-dog: LOL, yeah, I didn't want Clay to be too bad off, but he'll probably be in the hospital for a few days. Grace will get a chance to visit him and in turn we'll finally see Webb and Catherine. Hehe, well, the interaction with older Harm and younger Mac was strictly a funny awkward moment, but, yeah, we'll see some more of his emotions soon. The older Mac is a little bit more high strung about the whole thing. She definitely feels threatened by both of them. Thank you and see ya next week! :) Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*60*~ on the review list! *does little happy dance* THANK YOU, E-DOG!!!! 

Moonlights Sundance: Yuppers, Eric will have an appearance soon. Not sure exactly what his part will be in the whole thing, but it'll come to me...hopefully, lol. Yes, yes, yes, at first I was really confused as to who "Rebecca" was, so I just kept reading a little bit, thinking it would be explained. But after the first two paragraphs, I was like..."okay, something's not right," lol. So I peeked at your other stories and realized what happened. Reeally hope you update soon, it's such an original!! Thanks and see ya next week!

LadyJadePerendhil: Heehee, well, hopeless romantic that I am, I wanted to see how Eric turned out, and for Grace to see how he turned out. He made a large impact in her life for that year and was her closest friend, a friend she had to walk away from. You know me, though, I have to have a bit of angst in here :D. Hehe, don't worry, there won't be some weird relationship thing between the lot. Accidents like on the couch are simple awkward moments that are supposed to make those 4 a tad uncomfortable. Hehe, well, I don't know about a fistfight, but there will certainly be some verbal skirmishes between them!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Hey! Yes, I will certainly use that in this chapter. I've been really itching to experiment the interactions between everybody. Older Mac snapping at younger Harm was just the tip of the iceberg... :)...thanks and see ya next week!

Maggie: LoL, yeah, Clay is too much fun to kill, but I don't mind hurtin' him a little bit, lol. Hehe, my poor characters, what I do to them...thanks and see ya next week!

Harm-n-Mac Shipper: Oh, thank you! Oh no, my prayers for your mom and your family!! Thank you so much, really, I told my dad that my reviewers were praying for him and he had just such an appreciative expression on him, it really meant a lot. :) Thank you and see ya next week!

Debbie: Aw, thank you! Funny and interesting is definitely what I strive for. I know my comical scenes aren't always the best, but I try, lol. Thank you and see ya next week!

Jagchick105: Heyheyhey! Hehe, Older Mac isn't a happy camper with these guests, as you'll see further down the road...LoL, well, I figured since this really was based about 17 years in the future, that a few things would be different. I could picture Harm trying to work something that seemed simple, but would be difficult for him. Anyway, that fun to write, so thank you! LOL, oh, thank you soooo much, I was kind of dreading how exactly I was going to present the two Harms and Macs, so it isn't confusing. People seem to say it wasn't, but oh boy, sometimes it's like..."okay, how am I gonna do this..." so yeah, thank you for that! I know, hey, do you know what exactly happened to Palmer? He's still in prison, right?? It just seems like he's fallen into oblivion, which is good for Harm, but I kind of miss all the action :D. LOL, your head doesn't need to be checked! Anyone who doesn't agree with _us_ should be the ones getting a CAT scan!!! :D thanks again and see ya next week!

GHeTtOnErD: Hiya! Thank you! Ya, I'll think about it. I may post both of them after I finish this story. I dunno, but thank you for the encouragement! See ya next week!

NadaZimri: LOL, noooo, I didn't do it, I swear!!!!! That was pretty ironic though...*sigh*...ah yes, poor little Claysicle. Ooops, that reminds me. I forgot to give the credit that you thought that up...I'll try to change that here sooneth. *smiles innocently*...LEFTOVER PIZZA!!!! We wants it!!!

CharmedMummy: LOL, yay!!! My friendly proof-reading fairy is back!!! 1).(Clay's Mom):....heehee..well...okay...um...my friends that I've known for more than 13 years...I call their parents by their first names..hehe...and since Grace has known the Webbs forever, I kinda figured they did that too...umm...so yeah...:D But anywho..umm...I have MSN instant messenger (which I've actually never used, but it's there), Yahoo IM, and AIM. It's a little better than emailing...umm..oh yeah, for MSN, it's the same as my Yahoo ID, which is in my profile. My e-mail's also there though if you wanna shoot me a letter! 2.(Infrared): THANK YOU. I was having major disagreements with my spell check, trying to figure out just how you spell that darn word!!! *gets on knees and folds hands* THANK YOU!! 3. (Admiral/Harm): Heehee, I've been experiments with different references to them. I'll start using the younger/older ones too. Thank you :D. 4. (Defensive Mac): Thanks, I really wanted to stress this. You hit it right on the T. This is exactly what I want to get across. Older Mac is genuinely worried how these two guests will affect her children, as they've already affected Grace! 5. (Prey/pray): I slapped my forehead when I proofread that chapter _after_ it was uploaded. It was late and I didn't have time to re-upload it when I noticed the mistake. Now I'm just lazy, but I'll fix it soon. 6. (Mac's Scar): LOL, good, that was supposed to be a little funny, lol. 7. (Catherine Gale): Heehee, this is where my good luck comes in. I forgot about that too, that Catherine Gale was only introduced when Mac went to Paraguay. But she was quite pregnant at the beginning of the 9th season, meaning she probably met Webb way before Paraguay. So that's how I pretty much figured it happened (in my mind anyway, who knows in the show). Webb and Catherine were gettin' it on, then perhaps broke up because of their careers, but once Webb realized she was pregnant, decided to stay with her and they both rekindled their love for one another...yeah, maybe I'll stick that in the story somewhere, lol. Thank you so much, really, I told my dad that my reviewers were praying for him and he had just such an appreciative expression on him, I could tell it really meant a lot to him. OUCH, I hope your knee will be okay! Get plenty of rest!!! Heehee, and feel free to ramble allll you want. Like I've said before, you are my unofficial beta-reader and I love having you, because I really trust your opinion, and I know you'll be honest. Thank you again, and see ya next week!!! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*70*~ on the review list! *does little happy dance* THANK YOU, CHARMED!!!! 

Macicat: LOL, yes, Big Mac is not a happy camper, and Big Harm is definitely a tad bit confused :D. Heehee, well, Mamma Mac will have her moment, verbally anyway, maybe she'll throw a dish or something, I dunno, lol. Thanks and see ya next week!

DD2: Hey, welcome back! How was your vacation?! Thank you and see ya next week!

Lili: LoL, hey there! Aw, thank you, but do review other peoples! Authors thrive on reviews! :). Yes, you can bet on there being more scenes between those four!! Thank you and see ya next week!

Nikole1025: Hey there! LoL, welcome back, I'm glad you found it! Oh, I'm so glad you could tell which character was which, lol. I was so worried that nobody would know who I was talking about, lol. Thank you! Hehe, the title for Chapter 3, Claysicle, my friend actually made that up, and I'm giving her credit below, lol. Glad you like it! Thank you and see ya next week!

Winnie Bear: Oh, thank you! I try!! I wish the chapters weren't so short, but, eh, I'll try to make them longer. Hehe, don't worry, the story line is being created bit by bit. :) Thank you and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: Thank you! Oy vay, this has been a confusing ordeal, trying to figure out everybody's reactions, lol. I'm glad you see where I'm trying to go with this, lol. Thank you and see ya next week!

cmaf: Hey there! Hehe, cutting it close, but you made it!!! Oh, no, I wasn't questioning "sigh", you had written "imho" in parentheses, I was wondering what that meant. LOL, yes, stupid Clay Junior, but this all ties into something more important :D, I promise. OMG, 104 F??? That's insane!!! Do you guys get a lot of humidity (moisture) in the air down there?? Or is it dry?? Cause that can be quite a contributing factor!!! Yikes though. Well, I think my wish is coming true, it's warming up here, which means it should be cooling down a little bit down there!!! Thank you and see ya next week!! 

(A/N): Two things. First, I forgot to give the credit to the title of my third chapter, Claysicle, to me pal, NadaZimri!! Thank you!!! Second, just wanted to thank you all for your prayers and best wishes for my father. He's doing well and the surgery went with no surprises. When I told him my reviewers wished him well, he had such an expression of thanks, so thank you, I think it meant a lot to him :). 

Chapter 4: Cuban Music Sets the Mood 

1426 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia

Mac awoke with a start to the sound of the roaring of trucks outside. The morning light flooded through the guest room window and Mac stretched her arms and yawned, happy to feel the warmth of sunlight on her skin. At that moment, her fiancé came out of the bathroom in jeans and an undershirt. She watched him carefully and silently as he maneuvered around the room, opening the closet as quietly as he could and taking out a shirt Admiral Rabb had let him borrow. With his back to her, Harm buttoned the shirt, but stopped, feeling he was being watched. He turned around slowly and grinned when he saw Mac.

"Good morning." He said cheerfully as he came over to the bed.

Mac grunted, bringing the covers up to her chin. "What's good about it?"

"What's good about it?!" Harm quoted her, disappointment in his voice, "Well, first, that shower seems to have an unlimited amount of hot water...the electricity is back on...and, in your benefit, it smells like there's bacon cooking downstairs. Do these conditions please you, m'lady?" He added playfully. 

Mac let her lips spread into a smile. "Gratefully." 

"Good girl." Harm bent down and kissed her quickly as he buttoned the rest of his shirt. 

***

Grace stirred her cereal around in the bowl; actually eating the food the farthest thing on her mind. At the moment, all she could think about was Clay lying in some hospital bed, pale and lonely. But that scene was the farthest from the truth. No doubt Clay's parents would be with him right now. But she couldn't help but think it would do him good if he saw her. To know she cared about him.

 The crackling of frying bacon filtered into her ears as the scent entered her nostrils. She breathed it in fully, trying to find out if she smelled it enough she might taste it, seeing that that was the closest she would let herself get to the meat. She sighed. The scent only made her mouth water so she stuffed a spoonful of corn flakes in her mouth. The milk had gotten warm and the corn flakes were soggy, falling apart too easily. She swallowed what she'd taken and pushed the bowl aside. Her mother came over a second later placing a small plate with three crispy, brown slices of bacon in front of her. Grace's mouth started to water again and she grabbed her glass of orange juice. 

 Grace's mother caught her daughter's reaction and put her hands on her still shapely hips. "Gracie, you need some protein."

Grace scoffed as she pushed the plate away. "There are healthier ways to get protein."

Mac sighed, sliding the plate over to Isabel who smiled gleefully at the food. Grace didn't understand it. Her little sister could eat like a teenage boy and still stay skinny as a rail. Grace had to watch it and made sure she got in her jogs and her fruits and vegetables. She used to go running with her father, but he would usually go into a long lecture about something deep. After a while, she couldn't take all that intense thinking at five in the morning, so she made an excuse that she needed more sleep and went out running after he did. Jake was the strangest out of everyone. He ate almost as healthy as their father, but sat around doing nothing. Therefore, he got a little round in the edges, but her parents weren't worried. It seemed like he was growing an inch a month and would probably stretch to at least a six-footer by high school, therefore his weight would balance out.

 Grace flinched when something hit her. She looked down and saw an apple seed stuck to her shirt. Her head whipped up angrily to see Jake hiding his wide grin behind a half-eaten apple. Isabel giggled in between bites of her bacon. Grace peeled the apple seed off and threw it back at Jake, watching as it landed in his thick red hair, which was poking out in all directions from sleeping on it. Jake scowled, putting down his apple and ruffling his hair searching for the seed. At that moment, Grace's mother turned on the radio attached to the underside of an above-the-counter cabinet and the room filled with the sound of Cuban music. Grace knew her mother did that to filter out anything her children were doing. She couldn't blame her.  

 After some time, Jake found the seed and threatened to throw it back at Grace, who stood from her chair going over to where her mother was cooking the rest of the bacon. Grace emptied the cereal in the sink, washing her bowl. Grace's mother looked on curiously and watched as the food went down the drain. She eyed her daughter thoughtfully. Grace looked back. 

"What?"

"You need to eat more." Mac said as she pushed the bacon around on the griddle. 

Grace dried her hands on a towel and rolled her eyes. Behind them, Isabel squealed, surely because Jake threw an apple seed at her. His laughter echoed in the kitchen. A second later, the swinging kitchen door opened to reveal the houseguests. Everyone became silent, save for the upbeat Cuban music. The young Harm and Mac could immediately sense the different feelings in the room. Grace's mother returned her attention to the bacon. Jake put his apple seed down and Isabel slowly nibbled at her last piece of bacon, her eyes piercing the two adults who had just entered the room. 

 Grace finally broke the silence and smiled at the two. "Morning," they merely nodded at her, so Grace continued, "there's bacon, cereal, frozen waffles, bagels, anything you want."

Grace's mother slid the now cooked bacon onto a plate, covering it with another overturned plate and placing it on the table. She gently smacked Isabel's hand away from the plate before taking off her apron and busying herself with cleaning up. 

"Thanks." Harm said, still apprehensive.

Jake put his apple core down, fiddling with another seed. "Hey, Mom, since the roads are open now, can you take us sledding?"

"Yeah!" Isabel added excitedly, the thought apparently crossing her mind for the first time that morning.

Grace's mother sighed as she put the griddle in the sink. "Jake, I have a lot to do today, why don't you guys just use the hill in the backyard."

"That thing's for _babies_, Mom!" Jake whined. 

Isabel nodded defiantly, though she probably didn't have any guts to go on anything bigger than that hill. "Yeah, it is!"

"There's this great hill Matt was talking about, Mom," Jake exclaimed, his bluish/green eyes wide with excitement, "It's at the golf course. He says you actually take on air!"

The young Harm and Mac listened with amusement as they sat down pouring themselves a simple bowl of cornflakes. Grace leaned against the kitchen counter, curious to see where this conversation would go.

Grace's mother didn't seemed to comforted by Jake's description of the hill. "I don't think so, Jake. Besides, like I said, I have too much to do today."

The boy scowled, slouching down in the chair. His eyes brightened up a fraction of a second later though. "Can't Dad take us?"

"No, he's going to Bethesda to check in on Clay."

Grace cranked her neck towards her mother. "What?! When?!"

Her mother shrugged. "Some time this morning."

"Can I go?!"

Mac nodded. "I don't see why not."

Grace sighed in relief. 

Isabel turned her head to Harm and Mac, sitting next to her. "Can one of _you_ taking us sledding?"

Grace's mother, who was leaning on the counter next to Grace, shot up, her spine straightening. "Of course not."

Jake couldn't see any flaws in it though and made a toothy smile. "Come on, Mom, they're practically you and Dad...I think."

The eyes widened on both the young Harm and Mac. But Grace's mother looked positively hostile. "They are _not_ your parents." She spat angrily. 

The silence in the air grew thick again, the beating of several Congo and Bongo drums and exotic trumpet notes echoing from the Cuban music, a singer in the background saying, "Mami Me Gusto," over and over again. Isabel frowned down at her bacon and Jake swallowed hard. Grace crossed her arms, giving fleeting looks from Harm and Mac. They both kept their eyes to the table. Grace's mother sighed sharply and stepped quickly out of the room. A moment later, Grace's father breezed into the room, his expression that of confusion. He was dressed in a thick winter coat. He had been out shoveling the driveway, and his cheeks were red from the cold. 

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, pointing a gloved hand behind him. 

Grace shook her head, leaving the kitchen with a scowl on her face. Jake and Isabel exchanged glances before turning to their father. "Can Harm take us sledding, Dad?" Jake asked hopefully. 

Admiral Rabb's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline. He understood what distressed his wife and why. His younger counterpart shifted uncomfortably in the chair, sensing he was now the center of attention. Mac took a sip of her coffee, hoping to hide her expression. Jake's father shrugged, stammering a little. 

"I—I guess...um..."

Mac spoke up immediately. "You wife doesn't like that idea, do you really want to go against her wishes?"

The Admiral glared at her solidly. She sounded the most like his wife when she said that. "...My wife is under a lot of...pressure right now, I don't really trust her opinion at the moment. Besides, it'll probably be good for her to be alone."

Jake leapt up from the chair, slicing his fist through the air in achievement. "Yesss! This is gonna be awesome! I'll go dig out my sled!"

Isabel squeaked excitedly and was on her brother's heels as he rushed out of the kitchen.      

The older Harm seemed to be confused by what just happened and shook his head. "Do you, uh, know where you're supposed to take them?" He asked his younger self. 

Harm nodded. "I know the golf course Jake was talking about."

The Admiral bit his lip, his eyes wandering to the ceiling as his wife's footsteps treaded heavily across the floor upstairs. His gaze slowly fell back down to Harm. "I trust you...but make sure _nothing_ happens to them. My wife may kill you if she finds a scratch on either one of them."

***

1516 ZULU

Grace stood at the end of the driveway as she waited for her father, and examining the road. They had gotten about two feet solid of snow from yesterday's storm, but the trucks cleared the snow off the roads, which luckily didn't have much ice on them. Grace remembered when she lived with Harm, and how _long_ it would take for trucks to clear the roads after a storm. If D.C. had gotten this size of a storm in 2003, the entire city would be shut down before the roads were cleaned up. 

 Her father made a short whistle behind her to catch her attention. Grace spun around and started up the driveway, hugging her thin arms. They both climbed into the SUV-like vehicle, buckling their seatbelts. Her father started the car, and a hot current of air poured out of the vents at the dashboard and their feet. Grace welcomed the heat, her red cheeks gaining a normal color again. 

 The car ride was silent for a while. Her father drove slowly through the streets, keeping a careful eye on the other drivers. They came to a stop sign at the end of the neighborhood, and Grace couldn't help but notice that he kind of rolled through the sign. Grace pursed her lips. 

"Dad?"

"Yeah?" He answered distractedly. 

"You rolled through that stop sign."

Her father slowly turned his neck to look at her, the smallest a smirk on his features. "Okay, _Mac_." He joked, referring to his wife's behavior sometimes when she was forced to sit in the passenger seat. 

Grace rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Harm sped up a little bit, now on a more open road as they headed for Washington. 

He cleared his throat, shifting in the seat. "During you little...sojourn...you didn't happen to learn how to drive—did you?"

Grace snorted a laugh. "You bet I did. I had this little Corolla, it was so cute. But I liked your 'Vette more."

The car swerved a little and a car passing them in the opposite direction honked. Grace chuckled. "Relax, Dad, you never let me near the pedals of your Corvette."

They rode some more in silence, each lost in their own thoughts before they pulled into the Bethesda parking lot. 

***

1530 ZULU

Not even wanting to come near a car of the future, Harm called a cab to pick him, Jake and Isabel up. He wasn't about to try and figure out how the vehicles around here worked, that is if they were even different. But he wasn't going to take his chances. 

 Apparently, Admiral Rabb informed his wife of the plan, and his wife locked him out of the bedroom, refusing to talk to him. But something told Harm it wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was simple jealously. That was Harm's best guess, but he wasn't about to confront the woman about it. His Mac then informed him that she would try to talk to her. The two had yet to be alone together to talk about anything, so Harm thought that was a good idea. 

 A hand tugged at his jacket and he looked down to see Isabel, completely covered with snow gear from head to toe. She had a scarf wrapped around the bottom half of her face, so the only part of her you could see were her big chocolate eyes.

"What, sweetheart?"

"Can you help me wiff my boofs?" She said, her voice muffled from the scarf. 

Harm looked down at her feet which had only pink socks. She held up her gloved hands, handing him the boots. Harm smiled as she plopped to the floor, or rather fell backward, her many layers supporting her fall. Jake was next to them, hopping on one foot as he secured his last boot on. He had a mask on, making him look like a miniature bank robber. 

 The cab honked from outside and Harm barely tied Isabel's boot before she shot up, wobbling to where her sleigh was propped up against the wall next to her brother's. Jake grabbed his sleigh, a little bigger than Isabel's and pulled open the front door, racing out into the front yard. Isabel hobbled after him with Harm close behind. Jake raced towards the cab, waiting across the street, with Isabel now close behind him. Harm marveled a bit at the children's excitement. Growing up in California, his childhood was never graced with the fun of snowstorms. But seeing these kids looking forward to it like it was Christmas morning made him smile inside and out. But his grin disintegrated when he heard the honking of a car in the opposite direction. Jake had made it to the cab, but Isabel was still racing across the wide street. 

Pure instinct kicked in and Harm tore across the front yard and into the street. The car's breaks screeched, but caught a patch of ice and slid towards the girl who stood motionless in the street. Harm wrapped his arms around her waist and leapt into the yard next to the cab, the two of them falling into the deep, fluffy snow. Harm breathed heavily, that short sprint taking the air out of him. He still tightly gripped the girl who was wheezing but was fine. Harm rolled onto his back, finally letting go of the girl who also limply fell into him.

"Thanks." The girl said breathlessly, "I'm never gonna go into another street again." 

Harm nodded. "No problem." But Harm felt this was an omen of what would happen the rest of the day.

***

TBC

***

I promise. Next chapter will be much more entertaining. This week was crazy, with Dad's surgery and other things that make our lives nuts. You guys would probably have more if it wasn't for yesterday. I saw Passion of the Christ yesterday morning and was emotionally drained the rest of the day, I couldn't write a thing. Thanks again and see y'all next week!

~sancti   


	5. Out With The Logic Again

Thank you all so so much!!!

NadaZimri: LOL, oh boy, just what are we gonna do with you, ya rebel?!?! :D....hey no prob, and guess what?? *drum roll*...It's Happy Chicken Day!!!..........*cricket*......really!!! :D Thanks, girly. 

e-dog: Hey, thanks!!! Yeah, I was scared outta my mind to see that movie, but my mom had bought the tickets in advance, and I didn't want to waste it. But now that I've seen it, I'm glad, it's given me a whole new perspective. Anywho, well, hehe, you'll have to read to find out what Mama Mac saw or didn't see :D. Heehee, you'll see what I mean later...yeah, at first I wasn't sure how to handle the kids' reactions, and curiously seemed the right way to go, I'm glad it's working! Heehee, it's good to ramble! Really! :D Thanks and see ya next week!

Gillian-Marie: Thank you! Ya, the Clay storyline will lead to something else, which will connect with something else, and hopefully this will make sense in the future, lol. Oh, thank you. I've had a heck of a time trying to figure out how everyone would react to this stuff. I see Mama Mac being defensive with her children for various reasons, which will come out soon. Thanks and see ya next week!

Maggie: Hey there! Thank you, it's hard but interesting to write how these guys would react to each other. I'm still in the experimentation stage, and hopefully it'll get better. Oh, I know, that movie was wonderful, gave me shivers though. The freaky demon kids are wiggin' me out though *shudder*. Thanks and see ya next week!

Annebd: Thank you! OMG, it's been difficult trying to distinguish the young and older Harm and Macs, *sigh*, but I'm relieved it's coming out somewhat decent, lol. Oh, yay, thank you for updating that story!!! Sorry I didn't review right away, the site was giving me troubles and I couldn't access anything!!! Thanks again and see ya next week!

Deb: Thank you! Oy vay, I just hope you'll be able to tell which Mac is which!!! LoL, thanks and see ya next week!

Mars: Hey there! Thank you! Well, I think "hate" is a strong word, more like she's confused and jealous and it's coming off particularly nasty, lol, that's the best way I can explain without giving too much away. Heeheehee, well, there was a point to the seemingly useless Clay bit. *cough*Eric*cough*....ahem... :D...muahaha...thanks and see ya next week!

ArwenUndomiel: Thank you! Oy vay, I'm tellin' ya, it's hard, it is *so* easy to get obsessed, but I'm trying to keep my cool, lol. I'm just so incredibly grateful for wonderful reviewers like yourself :). Thank you. Yeah, everybody was a little...rigid when he had the surgery. It's been a full week now and he had his first follow-up today. He came back with digital pictures they had taken during the surgery of the inside of his knee. *shudder* it was kind of gross, lol. Anywho, he still can't drive, but he's getting around so much better than last week! Thanks again! LOL, I know, it's sooo easy to torture poor Harm and Mac. Mama Mac is just exploding with emotions right now and those emotions are coming out in a particularly nasty way...*shiver*...but further ahead, she's gonna have a little...um...breakdown...yeah...anywho, thanks and see ya next week!

DD2: Hiya! Thank you! Yeah, I hope everything continues to go smoothly too! Thanks and see ya next week!

cmaf: Hey there! Ohhhkay, I've never seen "imho" before, lol, you learn something new every day! Oh yikes, that weather doesn't sound like fun!!! Well, it sounds like this is as bad as it's going to get, so it'll have to get better from here, right? :) I'll pray for a cold front for ya!! :) OMG, okay...*whisper*...you just totally guessed the "big surprise" with Eric, LOL. Are you reading my mind?!?!?! *sigh* lol, great job!!! Thank you and see ya next week!

Mimmi: Thank you! Oh boy, jealous Mac is interesting to write, because we haven't really seen her jealous, well, like, "mean jealous" on the show. Oh, and you can bet there will be more interaction with H/M and the kiddies!!! Hehehe, yes, you get to see Eric _very_ soon!! Hehe...Thank you, I wasn't completely sure how to handle the older Harm and Macs with the whole sledding thing, but my dad does the same thing with my mom and vice versa, LOL. Glad it works here!! Oh, it won't be too bad with the omen, just some awkward moments and funny mistakes. Isabel almost getting hit will _probably_ be the most dangerous part of this "outing" :D. Thank you so much and see ya next week!

Lili: Welcome back!! I know, it was very short, that was a big mistake on my part *hangs head in shame* but I'm hoping we'll never see that short of a chapter again! Okay, I understand, what is your first language?? Thanks again and see ya next week!

CharmedMummy: *whimper* Okay, I'll make the pregnancy up since I did promise not to include the 9th season in all of this. Thanks for the little nudge in the right direction :D. 1(Good girl): Okay, okay, I'll try to change it sometime! 2(Teenage changes) You know, I never thought of a different haircut...hmm...how would I be able to put that in there, it's kind of late for that. But school definitely, I'll try and show that she has excellent grades and perhaps somewhere I have Grace thinking about the changes physically she's had. Heh, okay, I have an idea, but it's a little goofy, hehe, okay, maybe you'll see it. 3(Harm w/kids) Teehee...all part of the plan. Oh geeze, just wait and see what's going to happen with this. I plan on someone knocking into Harm. Yes, he has changed in the last 16, 17 years...but his voice hasn't... :D, you'll see...heehee...thank you in advance for how you review, I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again, cause it's true: it really helps me to see what people are thinking, and you present it in such a nice, friendly way, so thank you :). Yeah, The Passion was reeeally good. Violent, hoh, yeah, but after a while, the emotion of the story grabs you more than the violence. I really liked it, though I couldn't write anything even though I tried for the rest of the day, lol. Thanks again and see ya next week! 

Jagchick105: Hiya! Oy, I felt so bad about the length of that last chapter *hangs head in shame* I was really mad at myself for having it that short, but that whole week was kind of...strange...but thanks :D. LOL, I know, whenever I put "Admiral" for Harm, I cringe, cause, well, for a plus, it's a really good way to separate Papa Harm from young Harm, but in turn, you always think of AJ. So, yeah, I'm still working out the kinks on that one. Yeah, I'll hopefully work on that with Grace's thoughts about how she's kind of gone backwards physically. I have a couple ideas with that, but I just have to write 'em down, toss it around a little bit. Then possibly delete it *shudder*....*chants*: "The delete button is your friend...the delete button is your friend...." oy, okay, I feel better now. Anywho, thank you, Isabel and Jake are so much fun to write about :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Pennithil: Yeah, my mom bought the Passion tickets in advance, so I didn't have much choice, lol, but we did a bunch of research together to kind of de-sensitize ourselves before seeing the movie, I think that helped a little :). Thanks and see ya next week!

Macicat: Welcome back! LOL, yes, Mama Mac is fuming a little bit, but young Mac will talk some sense into her :D. Heehee, the kids are so much fun to write about, it's weird, even though they're original characters, they're the children of characters we all know, so it's pretty easy to write about them because they carry the characteristics of their parents. Anywho, thank you Maci and see ya next week!

DelphiKat: Aw, thank you! Oh, you did?! In two days?!?! Wow, lol. Thank you for the effort! Oy, I do feel so bad though when I post short chapters *shudder*. I'm working on trying to make more time in the week to write this. Heehee, thank you and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: Thank you! Yeah, the Mac to Mac talk will hopefully come out good and not too cheesy or cliché. Cross your fingers on that one! Hehe, well, Harm is about to have quite a day with those two kids!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Cassie: Thank you, on both counts! Ya, Dad's up and out and back to work (though he accidentally bent his knee yesterday and now it hurts again :[...). Yes, it was an incredible movie, and I'll probably watch it again when it comes out on DVD. I'm really interesting to listen to the audio commentaries!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Nikole1025: Hehehe, well, being a little predictable isn't too bad I suppose, lol. Oh yes, wait till you see what I have in store for our favorite squid and the kiddies!!! Oh good, I mean, the whole day and most of the next day I couldn't do much after seeing that movie. I was just exhausted, but I'm glad I saw it :). Thanks again and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Hey there! Thank you! LoL, yeah, it makes perfect sense, but I try to look at it like Mac is being a tiny bit unreasonable, and Harm is I think in a little bit of a daze. So both of 'em are kind of...off. But stuff will start to smooth over after they both get some of their feelings out. The Mac to Mac tête-à-tête is probably the most important part off this chapter, so, hehe, no pressure, lol. Thanks again and see ya next week!

Winnie Bear: LOL, you don't have to say much! Thank you for reviewing though and see ya next week!!!

(A/N): Okay, I'd like to take this time to apologize for last week's REALLY short chapter which has been haunting me all week. Now, this isn't any 8000 words or anything, but it's longer and will make a bit more sense. So sorry again for cutting it SO short last week *shudder*. Thanks and enjoy! 

~sancti 

Chapter 5: Out With the Logic...Again 

1535 ZULU

Bethesda Hospital

DC

 Grace felt her insides tighten as they got out of the car and started towards the entrance of the hospital. The last time she was at this hospital she came with a dead Lieutenant Singer. Grace suddenly wondered if Harm and Mac had told her parents about that whole ordeal when they were alone in that bedroom for a couple hours. Her parents hadn't mentioned anything to her. Then again, they both hadn't exactly had the chance to talk to her alone.

 Three people exited the elevator and Grace felt she was finally able to breathe. It was another symptom she'd acquired after the Singer ordeal. She was now claustrophobic. She couldn't explain how what happened to her made her attract the phobia. Grace tried to shake it off and she closed her eyes as the elevator moved up again. But her father nudged her with his elbow, making her flinch. She snapped her eyes open and shot her gaze to her father. 

"What?" She asked a little breathlessly.

He stared down at her, his eyes filled with concern. "You okay?" 

_No._ "Sure." She lied with a shrug. 

He nodded uncertainly and his eyes flickered to the elevator doors. Grace tried to figure out exactly what he was thinking, if he actually believed her, but his expression was deadpan and he could be thinking about his laundry for all she knew. 

 The elevator came to a smooth halt and the doors opened. Grace scrunched her nose at the familiar smell of a hospital. But getting out of the confines of the elevator deemed to be much more appealing, so she was out of the elevator first, her father close behind. The carpeted corridor was mostly deserted, a nurse passing every once and a while. 

"What was his room number?" Grace asked, peering at the closed hospital room doors. 

As she asked, Harm took a folded piece of paper from a vest pocket and read the information off it. "Room 517. Looks like it's down a little further." He added, his eyes wandering over the numbered doors they passed. 

"Down a little further" was an understatement. It was at the very end of the long corridor. Once they got there, Grace could hear her friend's muffled voice through the door. 

"_Guys, I'm fine! I just wanna go home!_" 

Grace knocked lightly on the door, then grasped the cold metal handle and pushed the door open. The Webb family turned their heads to the visitors as they entered the hospital room. Mr. and Mrs. Webb were the first to be seen, standing at the end of the bed. A curtain was drawn in front of the bed where Clay rested impatiently. Clay's brother and sister, 14-year-old fraternal twins named Adam and Joan, sat crossed legged on the end of the bed playing cards. The curtain was pulled back and Clay leaned forward as far as he could. 

"Grace! Admiral!" Clay greeted them with wide eyes, "What are you guys doing here?"

Grace walked up to the bed, radiating a playful smile. "What do you mean why are we here? To check up on you, silly."

Clay sighed, falling back against the raised bed. "I'm _fine_."

Grace felt her insides tremble a little when she saw his face. He was quite pale with long stitches on his forehead. His left eye was also bruised, but he tried to hide it by letting some of his dusty-blond hair fall over the eye. 

Catherine Webb gave a motherly pout and she moved next to her son, brushing the hair out of his eye. "Oh, come on, Mom!"

Harm nodded at Webb and they moved away from the others. In a hushed voice, Harm asked of Clay's condition. The CIA agent sighed, shrugging a shoulder. "He has some stitches, a few bumps and bruises, he should be home. But because he got a concussion, the doctors want to keep him longer." He added grimly. 

 Grace pulled a chair up to the bed, forcing a smile. Clay returned it with a toothy grin, but then it disappeared and his features reflected a question. "Where did you go anyway?"

Grace felt her smile tumble into a frown and she started to twiddle her thumbs. "...Um...Dad called and..." She struggled to find an excuse that she never expected to be asked for. It just wasn't something she gave thought to. At that moment, she heard her father walk up behind her. 

"I saw the weather reports and wanted her home just in case the school didn't let out fast enough." He said it so crisply and cool...like it was the truth. Grace's skin tingled when she realized just how good a liar her father was. 

Clay then turned his attention back to Grace. "Why didn't you tell me before you left?"

Grace shrugged a shoulder. "He was waiting outside for me."

Joan's voice crept into the conversation. "She doesn't have to tell you _everything_, you know."

Clay shot his sister a glare. "Was I talking to you?"

"You are now!" Joan spat, her grey eyes gleaming. 

Adam nudged his sister. "Quit it, he's sick!"

Catherine jumped in before it turned into a card-throwing brawl. "Hey, guys, let's go the cafeteria."

Both Adam and Joan rolled their eyes as they slid off the bed. "Mom, hospital food sucks!"

"Don't say 'sucks', honey." Catherine said tiredly as she led them out of the room. 

When the door closed, Grace turned to her friend. "You gonna be okay?"

She didn't even realize her hand had been resting on the side of the bed until Clay covered her hand with his own. A sharp memory quickly came into focus of her and Eric. When her eyes flickered to Clay's, she half expected to see Eric, but instead it was the lifelong friend whom she'd always bickered with. Grace snatched her hand away and surprised even herself when she practically stood at attention and quickly made her exit into the corridor. Webb and Harm stared at the door as it closed with a bit of a slam. Webb cocked an eyebrow, looking from Harm to his son. Clay's jaw hung a little until he finally turned to the two men standing at the end of his bed.

"What did I do?"

Webb cleared his throat uncomfortably, pointing to the door. "I've, uh, got to make a phone call."

When he left, Harm sat down in the seat Grace had occupied. Clay was staring at his feet; his brow furrowed and didn't seem to notice Harm was there. Finally, he picked up his head, looking straight at Grace's father.

"Admiral—Harm...does Grace have a boyfriend or something?"

Harm slightly remembered the younger Mac and Harm saying something about a boy Grace had made a best friend out of, but they didn't elaborate much on it. Harm figured his daughter lost the boy rather tragically or something like that, and now the thought of having another boyfriend brought back too many memories. It boiled in him a little knowing Grace was having, "relations" with a guy, but he pushed it aside, realizing he couldn't convey any information about this, "other guy" to Clay.  

"Look, Clay, she probably hasn't told you," Harm tried to say delicately, "but she's been going through some...rough times lately."

Clay gave him a blank stare. "But—she always tells me everything that goes on in her life...mostly to annoy me!"

Harm made a dry chuckle before continuing. "Heh, ell, you know, Clay, she's a teenage girl, they all have problems."

Clay's eyes narrowed as he put the pieces together. "So, like, she has even _more_ problems than she tells _me_?!"

"Uh—probably." Harm replied half-heartedly.

"And you know all about her problems." Clay said matter-of-factly.

Harm put up a hand in defence. "I didn't say that." 

"You implied it."

Harm sighed. "Look, just—I wouldn't try to instigate any kind of relationship different than the one you have now." There. It was concise and clear...at least to Harm.

Clay shook his head. "I knew it. There's another guy."

"Clay—"

"Please, Admiral. I think I'd just like to be alone." 

Harm bit his lip as he hesitantly stood from the chair and stepped out of the room, leaving the boy to his own troubled thoughts.  

***

1548 ZULU

Rock Creek Public Golf Course

Washington DC

 Harm angrily punched the numbers on the cell phone Admiral Rabb had let him borrow. The signal wasn't getting out and giving a frustrated sigh, he roughly stuck the cell phone back into the pocket of his jacket. Meanwhile, Jake patted his sister's shoulder, but the girl still whimpered and a couple sobs escaped. Harm rested his right elbow on his raised knee, while the other leg lied straight out in the snow. 

Jake pursed his lips. "Um...sorry, Harm. I didn't think Isabel would wimp out like this."

"I didn't wimp out!" She snapped choking on her tears, "I just don't feel like doing it right now!"

Harm and Jake sighed, staring down at the steep hill where other sledders slid quickly to the bottom, their sleds going beyond the hill and finally stopping some yards away. Harm drew both legs up, crossing his arm over his knees. 

"Well, Isabel, we have three choices," Harm said, staring out at the snow-covered golf course, "You use the sled to get to the bottom, you let me carry you, or we carefully walk down on foot."

Isabel's eyes, the only part of that could be seen with all the snow gear she had on, widened to an almost impossible size. "I don't like any of those choices." She answered flatly.

Harm glanced over at Jake who shook his head and stood, grabbing his sled. 

"Well, I'm gonna take a couple of slides. You wanna ride with me, Isabel?" Jake asked thoughtfully. The girl sniffed and shook her head sharply. The boy shrugged and got in line behind a few kids. 

Harm nodded at a girl squealing happily as she slid down...and down and continued to slide once she hit the flat ground. "Looks like fun."

"It's not," Isabel mumbled, "it's susyside."

Harm gave the girl a sidelong glance. "You mean, 'suicide'?"

"That's what I said." She replied defensively. 

Harm smirked. "Okay."

It was finally Jake's turn and the two watched as he let out a yelp and slipped down the hill. Isabel leaned forward and watched tentatively as he made it safely to the ground.

Harm shrugged a shoulder. "That didn't look so bad, hm?"

The girl's brows drew in and her aquamarine eyes locked gazes with Harm's. It was weird, the lighting was perfect and Harm could have been looking into his own eyes. The eeriness got to him and he looked away. 

Harm changed the subject. "So how long have you been afraid of heights?"

She shrugged, but with the thick jacket, her whole torso jerked. "Forever. But I didn't think the hill would be this big."

"Admiral Rabb?" A female's voice floated over from next to him. Harm started and instinctively pulled up the jacket collar over the lower half of his face and tugged his hat down a little.

A second later, a woman came over in a red wool jacket that went to her feet, hugging her arms. Isabel got to her feet and waved. 

"Hi, Ms. Paxton!" 

Harm stood, figuring by Isabel's reaction that this was one of her teachers. 

The thirty-something woman didn't have anything covering her face or her head and her shoulder-length blond hair blew around fiercely. Harm swallowed. She was gorgeous. 

_But Mac is prettier_. He reminded himself, _and she's your fiancée._

"Guess what, Ms. Paxton?!" Isabel said excitedly.

Ms. Paxton smiled big, revealing perfect white teeth. "What?"

"I almost got run over by a car today!"

Harm squeezed his eyes shut and sighed, then opened them carefully. Ms. Paxton had a blank expression, but she forced a little smile. "Oh, that sounds...exciting."

"It was! Harm—" Harm nudged the girl, and she quickly changed her phrasing, "Daddy saved me!"

It must have happened too quickly for Ms. Paxton to register the, "Harm," part and she looked over at Isabel's, "father."

"Well, um, I recognized Isabel's jacket, but I wasn't sure if it was you guys."

Harm nodded uncomfortably. He had to remember to—well, to be himself. Who knew it would be so hard? "Uh...yeah, decided to take advantage of the snow."

Ms. Paxton nodded. "Yeah, I have my kids here."

_Oh, thank God, she's married._

"Thought it would cheer them up, since, well you know, the divorce was such a messy one."

Harm's eyes widened and all he could do was nod again. Harm tried to gather his theories about her. This woman had to know the family well enough to freely offer personal information. So Harm just played along.

"Yeah, a little snow and sledding ought to perk 'em up."

Obviously not liking the subject, Paxton changed it. 

"So how's life as the JAG?"

"Uh...busy."

Isabel tugged at Harm's coat. "But you're not the—"

Harm forced a laugh and glared down at the girl. Isabel narrowed her eyes, then Harm watched as they widened and she nodded her little head. 

"Yeah, it's been real busy." 

Ms. Paxton nodded. "Where's Mac?"

"At home."

"Ah," Paxton checked her watch, biting her lip, "we were just about to go get some hot chocolate, you guys wanna come?"

Harm thought about how strange he would look in a coffee shop with almost all of his face covered. "Uh, no thanks, we're just gonna head home after this."

The woman looked a little disappointed but she quickly hid it. "All right then, see you later" She waved at the girl, "bye Isabel."

Isabel struggled to get her arm up high enough to wave, the coat making it difficult. "Bye, Ms. Paxton!"

The woman made an about-face and started toward two kids who were waving to her, undoubtedly her own. Harm swallowed hard, glancing down at Isabel.

"Your teacher?"

Isabel shook her head. "Nope. Our family councillor. Mommy says it's 'ironic,' whatever that means, 'cause she got divorced." 

Harm blinked. "Family councillor?"

"Yeah, Gracie's been acting bad and we all had to go to Ms. Paxton." 

Harm's eyes flickered to Jake who wearily climbed up the hill. "Is that so..." He shook away the thought and pointed at yet another kid sliding down the hill, "What do ya say we tackle this monster and get it over with?"

Isabel looked up at him nervously. "Will you go on with me?"

***

1600 ZULU

Bethesda Hospital

 Grace kept pacing the long corridor, thinking out everything she could. Did she really want to start something with Clay? No, it would be just too weird. She'd been a "friendly enemy" towards him for as long as she could remember. But how could she dissuade Clay's incentives? She could tell him flat out that she liked their relationship right where it was and didn't want it to be anything different. But would that crush him mentally? She wouldn't be able to stand that. 

 Feeling she would practically fall over with anxiety, Grace backed up against the wall, but instead ended up backing into the drinking fountain. It proved to support her enough and she leaned her weight against it. But as she stared at the floor, a familiar scent caught her attention. It seemed like thousands of memories triggered at once and every part of her body froze. Finally, she lifted her head and saw a handsome man in his mid-thirties, cocking an eyebrow. He was a doctor in blue scrubs. But Grace knew who it was before she even had to look up. 

He cleared his throat and looked past her. "Um, you done with that?"

Grace flinched. That voice. Exactly the same, maybe a little deeper. She jerkily turned her head, seeing she was still leaning against the drinking fountain. She stumbled away, backing up to the wall next to the fountain. 

The man made a small smile, looking a little uncomfortable. "Thanks."

Grace watched him drink, not really caring that he probably thought she was insane because she stared at him so strangely. He straightened his spine, nonchalantly wiping away some water from his chin. He peered at her curiously. 

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

Grace blinked a few times and was getting very close to pinching herself. "You—you're a doctor."

He glanced behind him for a fleeting moment before returning his attention to Grace. "Um...yeah—listen, are you sure you don't need help?"

Grace shook her head. "No, Eric."

The doctor blinked and he looked down at his ID tag pinned to his shirt. "Heh, that's, uh, _Doctor_ Eric, ma'am." He said, flashing a smile. 

Grace nodded. "Yeah." With that, her eyes rolled into her head and she fell to the floor. 

***

1605 ZULU

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia 

 Mac paced the foyer, hoping, wishing, and praying for her fiancé to come home. She knew she promised to talk to that woman who'd locked herself upstairs, but now she'd lost her nerve. She didn't think she'd be able to converse well with her older self. Especially since her older self was so grouchy at the moment. Mac let out a deep breath and let her eyes wander to the staircase. 

_There's no time like the present._ She grudgingly reminded herself. 

Mac started up the stairs, running her hand lightly along the railing. When she got to the top, she noticed the only room with its door closed was at the end of the hall. She made for that one, stepping carefully. Taking in a breath, she knocked gently. 

Nothing.

Mac knocked again, this time a thump was heard from inside, and she thought she heard footsteps. She jumped a little when the door swung open. Mac looked directly into the woman's eyes...her eyes. She was losing her nerve again. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed you—"

"What do you want?" Her voice was a little raspy, she'd obviously been crying shortly beforehand.

Mac forced a smile. "I was just wondering if I could talk to you. The quiet's starting to get to me down there."

The woman's expression was deadpan, but she opened the door more to let her in. Mac nodded in thanks and entered the bedroom. The room was simple with a nice bed in the middle, two armchairs opposite in the corners of the room. A dresser, and a nice closet with French style doors. 

 The older Mac stepped over to the bed, sitting cross-legged in the middle of it where a tissue box and many rolled up tissues were scattered around her. Mac sat at the edge of the bed, folding her hands in her lap. Grace's mother did the same without realizing it. Mac quickly changed the position and crossed her arms. Her older self didn't seem to notice. 

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Mac slowly tapped her fingers on her arm. "Um...well...why do you hate us?"

The woman slowly lifted her gaze to Mac, clenching her jaw. "I don't hate you." She muttered, "I envy you."

Mac blinked, uncrossing her arms. "Come again?"

The older woman looked up. "I envy you, Colonel."

Mac opened her mouth, hoping for encouraging words to slip out, but nothing inspiring came to her. "Why would you?"

She looked at the younger woman. "Why _wouldn't_ I? You've had a very strong impact on some of the hardest times in my daughter's life. _You_ were there for her and _I_ wasn't! Just why do you _think_ I envy you?!"

Mac wasn't expecting the third degree, but it certainly did place things in perspective. The only answer she could conjure up was an apology. "I'm sorry, Sarah."

The older woman waved it away. "I'm also thankful," Mac stared at the woman intently as she continued, "Gracie made the right decision to go to you two. Who knows what would have happened to her if she went elsewhere."

"So...you're thanking us?"

Grace's mother sighed and directed a tight smile at her younger self. "Thank you for believing her."

Mac made a have smile. "She _made_ us believe her. Went so far as to get a blood test."

The woman's eyebrows rose quite high. "She _volunteered_ to have a blood test? You mean she actually allowed someone to stick a needle in her?"

"Well...I wouldn't say _volunteer_. She was actually quite...resistant." Mac tried to clarify, remembering the incident. 

The older woman chuckled. " 'Resistant.' Sounds like Grace."

Mac nodded, pursing her lips. "You guys really did a good job with her."

The woman glanced over at a family portrait on their wall. Mac recognized it from the small one Grace had. The older woman sighed. "I thought we did. Now I'm not so sure."

***  

TBC

***

Okay folks, sorry for not uploading right away. The site wouldn't let me log in all Thursday night and Friday morning, so yeah, blame the site! :D Thanks and see ya'll next week :). 

~sancti


	6. Long Way From Home

Thank you all!!!

Maggie: Aw, thank you! LOL, good, tension is fun to work with :D. Oy, I can barely type, my fingers are freezing, lol, anyway, it was interesting to try and write Harm attempting to act like his older self, we might have more of that in the future :D. Thanks a bunch and see ya next week!

Mimmi: Hiya! LOL, don't worry, there's more Eric! LoL, it looked kind of weird when I read that part over about her recognizing his scent, I meant to put, "she recognized his cologne" or something, lol. But when I finish this story, I can go back fix those little things. Ya, I think you guys would have boycotted against this story if I didn't have the Macs chat soon, lol. Oh, your compliments mean sooo much to me :), hehe, I try my best :). Thank you so much and see ya next week!

e-dog: LOL, yes rambling is always very nice :D. Hehe, yeah, meet Eric, then quickly proceeded to meeting the floor... :D....having ppl faint is just too much fun :D. Ah! Isabel is a lot like this girl I baby-sit for, so it was really funny incorporating her personality into this, lol, she would freak though if she knew I did this *snigger*. Ms. Paxton, yes, she will have another appearance, actually another reviewer gave me a splendid idea as to what might happen with Ms. Paxton and...someone else..muahahaha... ;). Oh boy, I sat and stared at the screen for ten minutes at that little blinking curser trying to figure out exactly what I would do with the Mac-to-Mac scene, lol, it was pathetic. But I'm glad I finally got it down and it came out decent! Oh, I know, I kept receiving CharmedMummy's review (4 kb) about 15-20 copies each day, lol. It finally stopped a few days ago, then my _new_ reviews were incredibly delayed, but I think it's back to normal now, lol. Thanks a bunch and see ya next week!

NadaZimri: Yes! March 5th will be remembered as Happy Chicken Day!!!! Everybody eats chicken!!!! Even Harm!!! :D. LOL, I thought of you with the hill thing, JK, hehehehe, i'm so mean :D. Thank ya missy and see ya!

gHeTtOnErD: Thank you! I try :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

ArwenUndomiel: Thank you! LOL, yeah, it would be strange, hating your younger self, unless their was something about your younger self that you're really annoyed about or something like that, but yeah, things will kind of start to smooth over...LOL, Harm, yeah, I'll try to keep him out of trouble as much as I can ;). Eric, oh poor, unsuspecting Eric, alas, he does not know Grace :(. But Grace knows him ;). Hehe...oh boy, I must admit it's getting a tad more difficult to update with anything good lately. School has been bogging me down a little and this particular chapter was a very difficult birth, but I'm trying. I just have to try harder. Anywho, thanks and see ya next week!

Sunchaser: Thank you! Yeah, the two Macs are finally on good enough speaking terms :D. Thanks and see ya!

Lili: Yeah, it's really difficult to balance everything out, because there's really a lot of unanswered questions. In good time, though I'm having a little trouble at the moment, I should be able to move past it. Hey, yeah, you speak wonderful English! I've been trying my hand at foreign languages, and I have a lot of respect for anyone who can speak at least two languages :). Umm, I think you're my only French reviewer, yay it makes you special :D. LOL, oh good, I'm glad your reviewing other stories!!! :D Thanks a bunch and see ya!

Deb: LOL, I'm sorry it takes so long. As it is, I'm having trouble getting it out within a week *shudder*. But I'm trying :). Thanks and see ya next week!

Madelynne Rabb: Hey there! LOL, yes, I'm a Joan of Arcadia fan, but the funniest thing, I didn't even notice the names until after I posted and I'm like, "Oh, gosh, Adam and Joan, lol." Thanks and see ya next week!

CharmedMummy: 1)(Adam and Joan): LOL, the reviewer before you asked the same thing. After I wrote the name, I didn't even realize the similarity until after I posted. But yes, I'm a Adam/Joan shipper and I watch the show faithfully :D. 2)(Ms. Paxton): She was kind of a surprise and then a reviewer gave me an awesome idea. Get Ms. Paxton and Eric together. I have to use that, it would tie some loose ends. But what I will kind of show in the future, Papa Harm hasn't been flirting, but it's pretty much been Ms. Paxton who has been a little..ahem...pushy. You'll see (and surprisingly, I do know how to spell counselor, but for some reason, my spell check is set on British or something, I have to change it. When I was going through, I didn't really look to see the spelling was different...). 3) (Eric): Ya, I figured he was strong enough to make his own decision without Grace's intervention. Hmmm...having a Grace/Eric convo wouldn't be bad...thank ya :D. 4) (Macs convo): Heehee, thanks, was worried about how I would write it, but glad it came out well :D. Thank ya as always and see ya next week (have a great spring break ;)

Macicat: Aw, thank you! Yeah, Momma Mac is going through some tough times right now, as you'll see. Wow, you interpret this story so well! LOL, and you've given me some slam-dunk ideas that I will certainly use :D. Thanks, I owe ya :D. 200th episode tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! *does happy dance* :D can't wait, can't wait, can't wait *hyper* :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Thank you! Hmm, I'll probably be saving the showdown for future chapters. I'm having a tad bit of trouble right now, but hopefully I'll get through this *sigh*. Thanks and see ya next week!  
LadyJadePerendhil: LOL thank you! Well, Eric did join the military, but he's working at Bethesda, which is the Naval hospital, so it's all good :D. LOL, well, one REAL faint for Grace, and one FAKE one. :D. Mmm, well, Clay and Grace have been best friends/life-long-annoyances. Their relationship is unique and perfected, and I think Grace is having a hard time thinking of it changing. She's bad with change :D. Ya, Mac is going through a tough time, but she'll deal. Thank ya and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: LoL, when I first started writing that scene with Isabel, _I_ thought I was gonna write about her with an injury, but I couldn't fit it too well, and I wanted to keep it light-hearted. Glad you liked it and see ya next week! 

Jagchick105: Hiya! Aw, it's okay. Hey, don't hurt that computer too much, it has too many great stories on it!!! :D. Glad it's feeling better though. Ohhh, yeah, there is a lot of stuff going on and Grace is pretty much stuck in the middle...hehe...angst is so much fun...muahaha...:D...ooooh, tomorrow is the big 200th!!!!!!!!!! *hyper, hyper, hyper, hyper*...hahaha!!!! *bounces off walls* Okay, i'm good. I can't wait! See ya next week! LOL, hey, you never know, once spring comes around in this story, _somebody's_ got to mow that lawn...teehee...we're bad, lol. Thanks and see ya!

Cmaf: Don't worry! You made it!!!!! *throws confetti* :D. LOL, omg, what a coincidence!!! I'm glad that line helped...oy, a cyclone...that doesn't sound like fun :o. Hope everything's okay down there!!! Uh-uh, sadly, Eric doesn't have a CLUE. But Grace knows alllll about him, which could make for some confusing moments ahead :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Chapter 6: Long Way From Home 

1614 ZULU

Bethesda Hospital

DC

 Grace slowly opened her eyes, squinting under the bright light. The next realization she had was her head throbbing. She felt a moan escape her lips. A second later, three heads came into her vision above her. Her father, Webb, and..._him_. She blinked a few times, staring up at him. His own eyes widened and he recoiled a little, probably expecting her to faint again or something. A little giggle came out of her, much to the surprise of the three of them. A young voice piped in from where Webb was standing. 

"Is she in a coma?"

_Adam._

"No." Webb answered distractedly, peering at her curiously.

Grace shook her head a little. "Could you guys back up a little?" She croaked out. They complied, but Adam looked over her from her left. 

"Man, Grace, you completely hit the floor, I mean you just went _wam_." He emphasized this by slamming his hand on the bed. 

Joan appeared next to her brother. "Clay says that Mom would faint before she realized she was pregnant with us. Are _you_ pregnant?" 

Webb made a nervous chuckle in the background and the two adolescents were suddenly pulled away from the bed. Her father came into view again, concern on his face. 

"How do you feel?"

"Like I fainted," Grace said wryly, "seriously, I just need some room, okay?"

Her father backed up by a hair, but still stared at her, his eyes narrowed. 

"How long have I been out?" Grace asked with a sigh. 

"About a ten minutes—how's your head?"

"Throbbing."

_He_ suddenly came into view, placing a hand on her head. Her skin tingled at the touch. Eric pulled his hand away, nodding to himself. "She'll be fine, when she feels ready, she can leave."

"Do I need to fill anything out?" Admiral Rabb asked. 

"No, sir, all she needed was a bed and a cold cloth, hardly anything you couldn't have done at home."

Grace watched them both as they shook hands and suddenly Eric was gone from her vision. 

"Wait—" She tried to shoot up in the bed, but her vision tossed and nausea crept into her throat. Her father caught her and carefully eased her back down to the scratchy hospital pillow. Eric was back a second later. 

"Yes, ma'am?"

Grace suddenly wanted to ask a thousand questions. _When did you become a doctor? Are you married? Do you have kids? Even though we met in an alternate universe, is there the slightest chance you're having deja vu?_

He stared at her blankly, waiting for her question. Grace moistened her dry lips and gave a tight smile. "Thank you, Doctor."

Eric returned the smile, nodded at her father, and left. Grace listened to his footsteps dissipate, and finally the door close—it seemed like the loudest sound in the world, and so final. 

"Well, I'm gonna get back to Clay, Catherine's probably fussing over him," Webb stated, then turned to her, "stay outta trouble." He added with a wink. 

Adam and Joan waved goodbye before following their father towards the door. When they left, her father dragged a chair to the bed and sat down with a sigh. 

"What happened out there?"

Grace slowly shook her head. "You don't wanna know." Grace wasn't exactly sure how much (or if at all) Harm and Mac told her parents about Eric. Probably not much, her father would have questioned it by now. 

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that boy you had," he made a theatrical sigh, " 'relations' with, is it?" 

_Damn it._ Grace would have rolled her eyes, but sudden changes in her vision made her head hurt. 

"That was him, wasn't it?" 

Grace marvelled at her father's ability to be able to put all the complicated puzzle pieces together. He took her silence as a yes and nodded to himself. "No wonder you fainted."

Grace didn't want to talk about it anymore and she carefully raised herself into a sitting position. "Can we just go home? Mom might be killing Mac."

***

1640 ZULU

Rabb Home

 "He did _what_?" Mac slammed her hand on the table in disbelief as she watched her older self become completely enveloped in a laughing fit. When she could speak again, Sarah unfolded the rest of the story. 

"Harm, heh, Harm stormed into the room, and I was right behind him, my God, I thought Grace was going to shoot right through the ceiling, and poor Greg shot up from the couch and bolted out of the house. Grace was just _so_ mad, it was unbelievable."  

Mac shook her head as she took a sip of her soda. "My dad did that to me once. I had a boyfriend over and—" Mac stopped when she realized Sarah knew all those stories just as well as she did. She suddenly couldn't believe how much she had separated herself from this older version. 

Sarah chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. Never forgave him for that...never forgave him for a lot of things." She added solemnly.

Mac looked down at the tiles of the kitchen floor. "After all these years?"

Sarah nodded, leaning back into the chair. "After all these years."

Mac shook the thought away and tried to change the subject back to a lighter one. "So, what's the Admiral up to these days? Oh, wait, lemme guess, four kids, twelve grandchildren, member of the veteran's club." Mac said with a laugh. Her smile diminished when Sarah's face paled, "...you okay?"

Mac suddenly feared the worse. Did he pass away? He would only be in his late sixties! Surely with modern medicine, most health problems could be avoided!

Her older self finally glanced back up with a sad smile. "He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year."

Mac's lips parted in shock. "Al—Alzheimer's? But—that doesn't even run in his family, it was no threat—"

"It doesn't have to run in the family, Colonel. Three years ago, the doctors predicted it might happen. They haven't found a cure, they can only prolong the serious effects."

Silence swelled in the kitchen and Mac found herself picturing AJ completely clueless about the world around them.

Sarah took in a breath and crossed her arms. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Colonel."

Mac looked up and pursed her lips. "What's that?"

"Just what were we thinking when we almost married Mic?"

***

1700 ZULU

Cab Car #328

Streets of Georgetown

 The three sat quietly in the back seat, Jake on Harm's right and Isabel on his left. Harm held an icepack to his forehead, and leaned his head back on headrest. Isabel bit her lip, looking up at him. 

"You gonna be okay, Harm?" She squeaked. 

He took the icepack off, one he'd gotten from the lodge at the golf course and glanced down at the girl. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just don't ask me to go sledding with you guys _ever_ again."

Jake shrugged. "You have to admit, that fall was awesome."

Harm slowly turned his gaze to Jake, who had a wide grin.

"I mean, you completely hit that branch, even though I was yelling, 'duck.' Boy, that thing just whacked you off that sled."

A little giggle escaped Isabel as Harm put the icepack back to his forehead. "I'm glad you all find it real funny."

Isabel peered out the frosty window. "Think of it in a good way—at least I got over my fear. I went down that hill all by myself!"

"_Half _of the hill. Harm only stayed on the sled for _half_ the ride!" Jake corrected her.

"Doesn't matter!" Isabel shot back. 

Harm put a hand up. "Please, guys, my heads splitting apart."

Isabel made a face at her brother who stuck his tongue out at her. 

"This your place?" The cab driver asked as they drove up to the Rabb home.

"Yeah, that's it."

The cab pulled into the driveway and came to the stop. Harm gave the driver money Admiral Rabb had given him and the three filed out of the cab. They drudged up the sidewalk and up to the patio. Jake took his and Isabel's sleds, propping them up against the siding, then the three of them sat on the porch swing to take off their boots. At that moment, the crunch of snow and the sound of a car engine were heard from the driveway. Admiral Rabb's SUV pulled in and came to a stop at the garage door. Rabb came out, then went around to open the door for Grace, helping her out of the car. 

"What's wrong with _her_?" Jake asked, tossing his boot to the floor.

Harm only slightly shook his head and peered over at the girl as she and her father slowly made their way to the front door. Isabel hopped off the porch swing and bounded over to them when they stepped up the three stairs to reach the porch. She tugged on her sister's coat.

"What happened to _you_?"

Grace just patted the girl's head, then looked over at Harm. She mouthed, "We need to talk." Harm nodded and watched as Admiral Rabb led her into the house. 

***

1803 ZULU

 Harm and Mac came up to Grace's closed bedroom door. Her mother had ordered her to have bed rest, and she seemed to gladly take it. This was a good time for Harm and Mac to talk to her, and figure out exactly what would happen next without Grace's parents interfering. 

Mac knocked on the door, which was answered with a muffled, "come in." They entered the room, closing the door behind them. Grace was sitting up in her bed, and in her pyjamas, reading a magazine. She put it down when they came in, bringing a pillow to her lap. 

Grace gestured to a rocking chair next to her and the end of her bed. "Sit."

Harm took the chair and Mac sat cross-legged at the end of her bed. Grace sighed, crossing her hands on the pillow. 

"A few things. First, I ran into someone today, " Harm and Mac exchanged glances before Grace continued, "...Eric."

Mac swallowed and Harm shifted uncomfortably in the chair. 

"He's a doctor." Grace said with a sigh.

Mac nodded. "I take it he's the reason for you fainting?"

The girl smirked. "I was a bit taken aback, as you might expect." She said with a chuckle. 

"Did he—recognize you?" Harm asked. 

"No, he wouldn't have. As far as this universe is concerned, everything that happened to us has no bearing here."

Mac propped her elbows on her knees, tucking her crossed hands under her chin. "That's probably a good thing."

Grace grunted. "Tell me about it. Anyway, what happened today made me realize a few things—we need to get you guys home."

Grace expected that to be replied with nods of agreement, but neither of them moved. Grace's eyes darted back and forth from Harm to Mac. "You—you guys _want_ to go home, right?"

Harm and Mac exchanged glances and both nodded quickly. "Yeah."

"Sure."

"Why wouldn't we?"

Grace gave them both odd looks. It took them a little too long to figure that one out. Grace shook it away and continued. "Well—okay, we know how this thing works. It only happens on Halloween, but you guys can't _possibly_ stay here for whole year."

Harm bit his lip. "Of course." 

Mac leaned her chin on her crossed hands and stared down at the bed. 

"All right, so we have to figure out a way to get you there earlier than that. So...any ideas?"

Mac twiddled her thumbs and Harm stared out the window as the slowly falling snow. Grace groaned, leaning her head back on the pillow propped up against her headboard. "This is terrible."

Grace's door suddenly swung open and Isabel came shrieking into the room, followed closely by Jake who was brandishing a toy gun and had a checkered shirt wrapped around his head like a bandanna. He chased her in a circle three times, then the two continued their rampage out in the hallway. Grace shook her head and pointed at the door. 

"Do you guys _really_ want to deal with _that_ all year?!"  

Harm tried to hide an amused smile, but a snigger escaped and Grace turned to him angrily. 

"You guys—look, I know those two are cute at first, but trust me, it only gets worse. Besides, you _can't_ stay here! It's not your place!"

Mac nodded reluctantly. "I know, but I kind of feel like we're starting to be accepted around here."

Grace placed a hand over her forehead and sighed. "Look, guys, this whole thing is ridiculous—"

Isabel tore into the room again and jumped to the bed, grabbing Mac's arm. "Come on, Mac, I want to show you my hamster!" Isabel tugged the Marine to and out the door, leaving Grace speechless. The girl glanced over at Harm who avoided her and stared down at the floor. 

"You guys seriously want to stay here, don't you?"

Harm jerked his head towards her and shrugged a shoulder. "Grace, it's just—we don't have to rush it."

"Harm, _somebody_ is going to realize one way or another that there are not one, but _two_ of you and Mac!"

Harm stood from the rocking chair and folded his arms. "Hey, you never said we couldn't enjoy this. But don't worry, we'll find a way to get back."

Grace slumped down in the bed and crossed her arms tightly. "For your sakes, I hope so."

***

0234 ZULU

Leavenworth Prison

Kansas

 The convict hummed to himself as he finished an equation on the notepad, and an eerie grin played across his lips. He sat up in the bed, swinging his legs to the floor and went over to the cement wall, drawing the equation and connecting it with another. He muttered to himself as he went to the beginning of the math equation and traced it to his new figure. A dry chuckle came out him and he stood back, admiring his work. Though everyone in the prison considered him insane, he had just figured out how rips in time happened, and how he could possibly control them. If it worked, his whole life could be changed around, and that of others. Unfinished business would be taken care of. Wrongs righted—at least from his perspective they had been wrongs. 

"Eat your heart out H.G. Wells." He laughed to himself again, still marvelling at his ingenuity. He'd moved up a level in the science world, and being the master of disguise he was, no one would know but him. But that would involve him escaping this hellhole, which unfortunately wasn't an easy task. 

 But then again, if he could figure out the formula for time travel, he could probably plot a way out of a prison. All of this would take time and more careful planning, but it wasn't an impossible task. He couldn't wait to meet his younger self, and take care of one annoyingly clever JAG officer.

***

**A/N:** Now, now, now, it's NOT a palmer-plots-revenge-and-drives-everyone-nuts-and-takes-hostages-and-steals-the-show-kind-of-fic I'm turning it into. I PROMISE you, Palmer will have a reason in this without stealing the story, and it's not a stereotype! Oy, okay, now that that's out of the way, I'm very open to ANY suggestions anyone might have. This was the last filler chapter and more stuff is happening, oh, I can't believe how pathetically short this chappy is, but things will become much more interesting. One last thing: I will be at a stupid retreat thing with my youth group over the weekend and i will surely go insane since i won't be anywhere near a computer. Please send inspiring comments to make me happy when I get home :). Thanks!     


	7. An Opportunity & a Confession

Thank youuuuu!!

LadyJadePerendil: Thank you! LoL, oh, good, I hope the Palmer thing turns out right. I have a bunch of ideas stirring, and methinks it's going to be fun :D. Heehee, you're pretty much on the right track though, I may use something similar to that :). LOL!!!! No, Grace is merely 16, lol. But I have plans for Eric :). Thanks again and see ya next week!

e-dog: LoL, thank you, I had fun writing that scene with Harm and "the low tree branch." I just have this image in my head and I can't help but giggle every time :D. Thank you for that, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was funny, lol. "Paradox" is pretty much right on the dot! Cause, well, you know me, I have to make things a little confusing :D. Hey, and I was awake when you wrote that review, it was also around 7:30, lol. Ouch, are you taking finals or something? My bro is in the middle of taking his finals, his earliest test was at 7:15 this morning (yuck). If you are takin' em, good luck! *blink* wow, that was quite a question with the whole, would Harm and Mac be there if Palmer went back in time...okay, I have to think this out...umm...okay, so if Palmer went back, would it be in a different universe...hmm...well, since he figured out how to kind of manipulate time...he might. Because in the mansion, everybody seemed to end up in the same alternate universe, with Mrs. Nolson in there and everything...oh boy, I'll have to think that one through. But Palmer might not make it that far depending on the ideas I have in store for him, mmuahahaha :D. Aiiie! Did you see the 200th eppy??? WOW. Shipper moments ahead!!!! :D Thanks and see ya next week!

Keshet: LOL, oh, thank you, that line has been spinning around my head for a while and that seemed the right place to put it :D. Thank you and see ya next week!

Starryeyes10: Thanks for reviewing! See ya next week!

Winnie Bear: Thank you, oh I try, I really do! :) Thanks, Winnie and see ya next week!

DD2: Hey, thanks! Oh, it's all good, just glad you're back! :) Thanks, DD and see ya next week!

Maggie: Thank you! Hm, well, I don't think Eric will ever remember her, but Grace may be able to prove she knows _him_ based on all the information she knows about him. I dunno, that was spur of the moment idea right there, we'll see what happens :). Thank you so much and see ya next week!

NadaZimri: LOL, to be perfectly truthful, missy, I totally did NOT see the connection between the Grace-Joan-Adam thing...really, I must be blind...well, you already know I'm practically deaf...hehe..LOL, ah, yes, reviewing is quite fun, isn't it?? Welcome to the wide world of..uh...reviewing...yeah...what were we talking about?! CHICKEN!!!.........no, that wasn't it......*scratches head*....or was it chocolate-powder-covered Orlando Bloom??!! *blink*....*drool*....*pop*, okay, I'm back...seriously my memory gland or whatever needs some work. :D. LOL, I laughed for 5 minutes with the whole "Camp Snob" thing, oh man...but I think I've told you that...what were we talking about??? 8^P 

Cassie: Aw, thank you, I try :). It's just a sincere hope that I can keep all you guys interested enough to want to come back! Yeah, thanks, the retreat was...interesting, but made me think about a lot of different things about where my life is going, and if I want it to keep going the way it is. But, yeah, I'm glad I went. Thanks, and see ya next week :)

CharmedMummy: Hey! Hey, pancakes are good! Hope ya had fun! :)....1) (Clay/wink): Ya, it was supposed to be a little out of character since his character has been changed by having the responsibility of a family. 2) (sit down!) LOL, yeah, it looked funny in my head and I continued to be amused by it so I added it into the story :D. Glad ya liked it. 3) (Palmer) Ohhh, I know, I have a bunch of different possibilities in store for that guy. I think JAG needs to bring him back, he was simply just the best villain they ever created. 3 ½) (H.G. Wells) ARG, stupid typos!!! I'll fix that now, it's gonna eat at me until I fix it. Thanks for pointing out, I might have never looked back to check :o. Thanks and see ya next week!

Mimmi: Hey! Hehehehe, ohhh boy, I'm back to my old antics of giving you guys questions without answers...yet :D...muahahaha...anywho...Ya, it is sad Eric doesn't know Grace...at least yet...remember, Grace knows everything about _him_ which might make for some interesting scenes ahead :). Oh, thank you, I know, I kept picturing Harm gettin' completely knocked off that sled from the branch, and oh, it makes me giggle every time, LoL. Thank you, I didn't like it much Mac being against her younger self, but she still might have some bickers with younger Harm :D. Especially when she finds out Isabel was almost hit by a car... :).....LoL, okay, don't worry, Eric will have his appearances! Thank you and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Heyheyhey! Yeah, now the story will move into a bit of a darker side, kind of like the last one did. I need to get serious about this now, Harm and Mac need to get back! LoL, thank you, it was probably predictable as to what profession Eric would have, but come on, I had to make him a doctor, lol. Anywho, thanks and see ya next week!

Pennithil: WELCOME BACK!!! :D Glad to see ya back, pennit!! LOL, yeah, this can get confusing, I have to be careful! There will be more Eric, I promise! :) Thanks and see ya next week!

Nikole1025: Yay! I still have an element of surprise! *jumps around room* ya, Grace is a tad stressed, and I'm afraid it won't get much easier, but when these characters are under my command, a lot happens to 'em!! :D Thanks and see ya next week!

Lili: LOL, yes, it was a cliffhanger...and they're not very nice, but oh, so much fun to write :). I'll try to keep them to a minimum though :D. I know, I wanted Eric to know Grace too, but with my plotline, it wouldn't have made any sense, so, arg, but now think about this: Grace knows EVERYTHING about Eric...hehehe...could make for some interesting scenes ahead!!! LOL, okay, punishment accepted!!! :D Thanks, lili and see ya next week!

ArwenUndomiel: Hey, it's all good, just as long as I know I didn't bore you or anything! Hey, I hope some of your stress in relieved, it's not a fun state of mind :(. Thank you, I was getting a bit tired of Mama Mac being mad at younger Mac...but once Mama Mac finds out Isabel was almost hit by a car (with Isabel's big mouth, you know it's gonna happen...)...hehe, Mama Mac might be a tad angry with Harm...dun dun dunnn...thanks and see ya next week!!!

Macicat: LOL, hey, Palmer ages too!!! And IMO, Palmer is the greatest JAG villain they've created. Now like I said, he won't be the center of the story, I promise! Oh, Harriet and Bud!!! I must include them too...hmm...oh, I have an idea brewing...just wait!!! :D Thanks and see ya next week!

cmaf: Heya! Thanks, Harm and Mac's reluctance was spur of the moment, but I think it makes sense...hopefully... :D ....thank you for the benefit of the doubt, Palmer has a very important role coming up, but he's not gonna take over the show, I promise :). Arg, I will try to make longer chapters!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Jagchick105: Hey there! Welcome back!!! So glad you're feeling a better!!! What did you have? I believe in your author's note, you said it was chronic, yikes. Hope it doesn't come back! Thanks, the Palmer twist is really important for the conclusion of this story, but he's not gonna take it over, I promise! LOL, I was worried I would be the only one who thought that the Harm-getting-hit-off-the-sled part was funny 8^P. Once again, glad to see your back and can't wait for your next chapter!! Thanks and see ya next week! 

SarahRabb705: Hey! Teehee, that was fun to put there with the whole Mac not knowing why she almost married Mic, I got a real kick out of it :D. Ya, Palmer is making an appearance, but he won't be taking over the show! I promise! :) Thanks, Sarah and see ya next week!   

(A/N): In the past, all my times have been based on ZULU. Well, I've decided to just make everything local time to avoid confuzzling myself if I change something around or whatever. Just a heads-up :)

~sancti

One with the story! 

Chapter 7: An Opportunity & a Confession 

0212 Local Time

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia

 Grace tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep, and if she did, the slumber only lasted moments. Truth was, her brain was on overload. She had too much to think about and her body wasn't handling it well. The feeling was all too familiar. She'd experienced the same thing a year ago right after Singer's murder. Only this time, she wasn't hearing the gunshots or seeing the blood or having that overwhelming fear of being alone. No, this was entirely different.

Guilt.

It was eating away at her like a parasite. The guilt of knowing if she'd just listened to her parents, none of this would have happened. If she'd stayed home and accepted the fact that she was too young for that party. If she'd just said, "no" to the dare. 

 Shivering, Grace sat up in the bed and grabbed her grey NAVY sweater that was draped over her headboard and pulled it over her tank top. Then she crept to her door, opening it slowly and wincing as it made a creak. Stepping carefully over the floorboards, Grace made her way to the stairs, taking each one slowly. When she got to the bottom, the first thing she noticed was the light filtering out under the kitchen door. She tiptoed over to it and poked her head into the kitchen. Her father sat with his back to her at the kitchen table, his head bent over reading something. He hadn't heard her and Grace stepped over to him lightly, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"Dad—" 

He flinched and turned to her, causing Grace to recoil. She sighed, it was Harm. 

"Sorry." She mumbled. It was getting too easy to mistake her parents lately. 

 Grace went to the fridge, pulling out a milk carton and pouring herself a glass. She brought that, and a bag of cookies to the table, slouching down in the chair. Harm eyed her choice of snack with a not-so-subtle look of disgust.

"I figured more people in the future would realize the benefit of fruit." He said with a raised eyebrow.

Grace shrugged, taking a nibble from her chocolate chip cookie. "Nobody can forget the taste of a cookie."

Harm smirked, returning his gaze to the book on the table, but his eyes didn't move across the words. "Can't sleep?"

Grace nodded taking a sip of her milk. "Too much on my mind. What about you?"

"The same."

Harm tapped his fingers on the table for a few seconds before closing the book and turning his attention to her. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said—about this not being our place."

Grace shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Yeah, about that, sorry for being so harsh, I just—"

"No, you were right." He interrupted with a sigh, "we have our place...this isn't it."

Grace bit her lip, trying to think of a delicate way to continue. "It's not personal, Harm. I just can't help but think what would happen if anyone knew about that house...what they could with that kind of power."

"Which is why you need to torch the house once we leave."

Grace shook her head. "No, you have to bring Mrs. Nolsen back first...then we'll destroy it."

"Right...then we'll go, 'poof.' "

They stayed silent a moment, Grace pushing the cookies aside. "Now all we have to do is figure out a way to get you guys back without waiting a whole year."

Harm drew a cookie out of the bag, turning it over in his hand, then sighing as he took a bite. "Anything's possible."

***

0611 

Admiral Rabb stepped carefully onto the first floor, heading over to the front door where his jogging shoes were drying from yesterday. He halted though when he passed the living room, where the TV was set to a news channel at a low volume. He recognized the back of the person's head at the couch and stepped into the living room. His eyes widened though when he saw Grace's head on Harm's shoulder, both asleep. The sight didn't shock him though. He could imagine how close Harm and Mac had gotten to his daughter—their daughter too, technically. He just didn't see himself as much of a father that many years ago. His life was complicated at that time and too many things were happening at once. Taking care of a child throughout all that would have been like pulling 9-G's in a Tomcat while trying to balance a vase on your head. In other words—practically impossible. 

 But somehow, his younger self and Mac were able to share the burden and keep her safe—most of the time. He couldn't forget what he'd been told about Singer and what Grace had went through. He was just infinitely thankful that Harm and Mac had been there for her. But still, he wished _he_ was the one who'd been there to comfort her when she awoke crying, or when she lashed out because of her mood swings which she apparently had for a long time. She was his responsibility after all! 

 Admiral Rabb felt something dark form inside him, and he suddenly knew what his wife had been going through the last couple of days. The effects on him were simply delayed. But not wanting to turn into the ticking time bomb his wife was before, he turned around and went to the front door, slipping on his jogging shoes and going out into the brisk, dark morning. 

***

1020

It could already be pretty loud with five people eating breakfast at the same time, but add on another two, and you could barely hear yourself over the others. Isabel was currently having a squabble with Jake, begging him for his bacon, which she knew he wouldn't eat. Admiral Rabb and the younger Mac were playfully bickering over some case in the past when they were on opposite sides. Grace's mother tried to quiet her two youngest children, and Harm was trying to explain to Grace the apparent "exhilaration" of flying an F-14.

"I can't believe I've never taken you up in one of those! Grace, it's a ride of a lifetime."

Grace rolled her eyes as she pushed the scrabbled eggs around on her plate. "I don't _need_ a ride of a lifetime, I very much like my feet on the ground, where they're _supposed_ to be."

Harm scowled, drinking some orange juice. "You're just like Mac."

At the sound of her name, Harm's fiancée broke off her conversation with Admiral Rabb and turned to Harm. "Did I hear my name?"

Harm shrugged innocently. "I think you're hearing things, Mac."

Mac gave the lawyer a curious glare before continuing her conversation with Grace's father. Harm and Grace stifled smiles and went back to finishing their breakfast. 

"How's your head?" Grace's mother suddenly inquired after she got Isabel and Jake to split the remaining pieces of bacon. 

Harm gingerly touched the bump, wincing. "It'll take a while to heal."

Isabel suddenly giggled from across the table, pointing at Harm. "It looks like you gots punched!"

"Isabel..." Sarah scolded her, but Harm just laughed.

Grace drained her remaining orange juice and stood from the table, bringing her plate to the sink.

"Where are off to in such a hurry?" Grace's mother asked, joining her at the counter, and sighing as she watched Grace's bacon and sausage go down the drain. 

Grace quickly washed her hands. "I've got an errand to run."

"Oh, really?" Sarah asked, a hint of teasing in her voice, "...what's his name?" 

"Mom, please, I'd be the last one to meet boys at a time like this."

Grace's mother handed her a towel to dry her hands. "So where are you going? I'll drive you."

"No thanks, I'll just take a cab."

At the mention of "cab," Isabel's voice floated over to them. "Oh, guess what happened to me yesterday, Mommy! I was almost hit—" Her sentence was cut off and it was obvious Jake had kicked her foot under the table. But enough information got out and the kitchen quieted. Sarah turned to her child, her eyes darting from Isabel to Harm, whose face had gone a tad pale. 

Grace, not wanting to be a part of whatever was to come, pointed to the kitchen door. "I gotta do stuff, see you guys later."  

***

1348

Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Washington DC

 Grace had never felt so incredibly tiny in her life. Even when she visited the _Seahawk_ or any of the other carriers her father brought her to, they didn't compare to this church. Her steps echoed on the hard floor of the massive room. Her head cranked in all directions, her eyes taking in something new everywhere she turned. The church wasn't terribly busy. A few tourists stood around in awe, a flash from their cameras reflecting off the nave's marble every once and a while. But everything was silent. You hardly ever heard a voice, except that of a small child's every once and a while. 

 Grace couldn't believe how long it had been since she visited this place. Her and her family weren't exactly church-going folks, but believed in it enough, Grace's father being Lutheran and her mother Catholic. Grace had been baptised, but not yet confirmed; she hardly knew the meaning of the word. Grace decided she might take a look into that sacrament after everything settled down a little.     

 Grace eventually found herself sitting in the front pew staring up at the dome ceiling, completely mesmerized by the sight. After a few minutes, she stood, finally ready for what she had come for. 

 After spending some time getting lost and finally asking for directions, Grace found herself in the Chapel of Our Lady of Hostyn. It was a room no bigger than a classroom, but with glossy marble floors and, dark, beautifully carved wood. A couple wooden benches sat off to the side and two confessionals stood dauntingly at other end of the room. One was occupied, the other's door was open, waiting for it's next "contestant." 

 Grace sighed, wanting to get this over with. She stepped inside the dark space, closing the door and sitting down, then suddenly feeling her claustrophobia coming back. Grace closed her eyes and held her breath, counting to ten before a voice interrupted her. 

"Excuse me?"

Grace started and shot her gaze to the screen in the wooden wall next to her. She could just make out the priest's face, and she hoped he could barely make out hers. She didn't want him to see the fear in her eyes. 

"Um...okay...forgive me, Father for I have sinned. It has been—" Grace halted. Just how long had it been since she last confessed? "Um...it's been like—four years since my last confession...I think."   

Grace gave the priest a sidelong glance, but she couldn't make out his expression behind the hazy screen. Once again, she was glad.

"What is it you'd like to confess?" He asked calmly and smoothly. 

Grace fumbled with her hands, once again asking herself why she had come here. "Um..." She sighed, then took in a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt everything she wanted to say pour from her mouth, "Okay, about a year ago...well, not a year ago, more like a month ago—well, technically a year ago...anyway, I went to this stupid Halloween party which my parents told me _not_ to go to but I did. Some...stuff happened and now I'm _living_ with these...two consequences...literally. Anyway, now I'm really starting to feel the effects of those...consequences, and I'm afraid of what it'll do to my family and my friends, and, oh hell, everyone else—" Grace gasped, "Oh my God, I said, "hell" in confession—" She slapped a hand over mouth, "Oh, God I said it again!"

"Ma'am, I think you just need to slow down...take a deep breath." The tranquil voice suggested carefully.

Grace took his advice, breathing in deeply, and then letting it out slowly, her breath quivering. 

"Better?" The priest asked.

Grace nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Now what exactly was it you wanted to confess?"

Grace tried to backtrack, then remembered. "Oh, right, uh...I disobeyed my parents, and now these consequences are getting a little difficult to live with and, um...I'm afraid."

Grace waited for an answer, and she felt it took to long for it to come, but the priest eventually spoke.

"It sounds like a—complicated situation you're in, but try thinking of it this way: what can you _learn_ from these...consequences? As humans, we make mistakes all the time and we have to live with the outcome of those actions. In turn, they often teach us a lesson. So just think about it: what lessons are they teaching you?"

Grace thought about that for a moment. What _were_ Harm and Mac teaching her? Patience? Responsibility? 

"Do you understand what I mean?" The priest asked.

"Um...yeah...I think so."

Grace thought she heard the priest sigh in relief, but she ignored it.

"Was there anything else you'd like to confess?"

Grace considered that, then flinched in excitement. "Oh, yeah, can I be forgiven for cursing in confession?"

***

1410

Rabb Home

Grace came home to a surprisingly quiet house. She soon discovered her mother had taken her siblings to the mall, Harm was catching up on his lost sleep from the night before, Mac was reading in the living room and Admiral Rabb was in his office/guest room. Grace made her way upstairs to the office, taking off her gloves and her hat. She then could hear her father's soft murmur as he spoke on the phone. The door was ajar and Grace couldn't help but listen when she heard the first couple of words. 

"To tell you the truth, I haven't even _thought_ about the guy for _years_...well, why call me?" Her father sighed with light frustration, "Look, I could care less about what the man does, just as long as he stays in pris—you found _what_?" 

Grace inched closer to the door, now intrigued by the conversation.

"Well, I know he's a computer genius, but that seems a little out of league for him...still, I, uh...I think I'll check into it...no, of course I don't believe him, but you never know...all right, thanks for the update, Nick...mmhm...bye."

Grace didn't expect him to get right up, and the girl sprang away from the door, but not before her father saw her slinking away. "Hey!" He called.

Grace froze in the middle of the hall, her shoulders drooping. She whipped around, crossing her arms. "Who was that?" She asked quickly, trying to bypass the fact that she'd been eavesdropping. 

Admiral Rabb sighed, his eyes darting from the office to his daughter. "How much did you hear?"

She walked up to her father, stuffing the gloves into her hat. "Enough to know you're going to check up on someone in prison. Who is it?"

Her father crossed his arms as well and hesitantly answered. "His name's Palmer."

Grace rolled the name around in her head. "Palmer, Palmer, doesn't ring any bells."

"It shouldn't," He said as he walked past her towards his bedroom, "I've never told you about him." He added bitterly.

Grace followed him in, watching him take out a duffle bag from the closet and put it on the bed. "Well, now's a good time as any, right?" She asked hopefully. 

"No." He answered without much hesitation as he stuffed clothes into the duffle bag. 

Grace rolled her eyes as she flopped down stomach first onto the bed, resting her chin on her crossed arms. "Did he do something in prison?"

"Yeah, tried to escape."

Grace's brow rose. "Oh. And that requires you to suddenly pack up for _Kansas_?"

Her father sighed as he zipped the duffle bag closed. Giving her a incredulous shake of his head, he started to unfold the little story. "They checked out his cell and found papers and the walls full of equations...Palmer thinks he's figured out time travel." 

Grace shot up in the bed, balancing on her knees. "_What_? Dad, could in be genuine?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, that's why I'm going."

"B—but you have to take me with you!" She cried.

Admiral Rabb shot her a glare. "Absolutely not, why would you even _consider_ that?"

"B—because I've been through it! I'll be able to ask questions you won't, I can see if he really knows what he's talking about—"

"Grace—don't, it's completely out of the question."

"Oh, come on, it's not like I'll be in danger! It's in a _prison_ and you'll be there with me the whole time! 

The girl's lip drooped and her brown eyes suddenly widened dramatically. Her father cocked his head to the side. "Don't even start, Grace. You're not going! End of story!" 

Grace smiled. She'd won. She'd be paying Kansas a visit.

***

TBC

***

Dun, dun dun. Twists ahead! :)


	8. Neurons, Protons, Electrons & Old Enemie...

Thank you all!!!

e-dog: LOL, oh, well...when you do take finals, hope all goes well, lol!! Yeah, but luckily my bro's finally on spring break and he sleeps in sooo much, lol. Only bad thing, he's on the computer a lot too :(....LOL, well, you planted a seed with the crossing the street bit, I hadn't really thought about anyone getting in trouble. But then it kept nagging at me and I knew I had to bring it up soon :D. Hehehe, thanks, I've been wanting a confession scene, and each time it just seemed to early to bring it in, but I had fun writing that, especially since I just went to confession last weekend. Since then, it's been rolling around even more in my head and I knew I wanted to write one in that chapter :). Yeah, I have to be careful with the Rabb/Grace/Palmer convo...oy...hope it turns out all right, lol. 

Gillian-Marie: Hey, welcome back!!! Aw, and thank you, all those compliments really boost my confidence :). Thank you and see ya next week!

cmaf: LOL, thank you, I had quite a fun time writing the confession scene. And you're right, the whole time I was like, "this priest probably thinks she got pregnant or something" lol. But, luckily, priests don't have to ask that sort of thing :). Yes, it's a real, church, or basilica. There are some pics of it from the link in my profile if you want to check it out. It's a beautiful place :). LOL, well, I kind of need Harm and Mac to go poof, because then we'd go back to having just our one alternate universe and then the young Harm and Mac don't have to live missing everyone and everything from the future and stuff. Well, I'm so happy you find the time to read and review, your thoughts always mean a great deal to me :). Thanks and see ya next week!

NadaZimri: Well, here I go, answering your longest review yet! :) Yes, I'm deaf, blind...mute...um...I don't think that's possible. Though some ppl at my church probably think I'm a mute. I don't sing and I don't talk to many people, lol. ANYwho...AH! Chocolate Orly!!! Darn you, and I just went a whole 32 minutes and 17 seconds without thinking about chocolate-powder-covered-Orlando!!!! Grrr....*sigh*............*pop* okay, I'm back......*grins stupidly*....(not very hard, I know, haha, you're soooo funny, tuh)....YES! It has been proven!!! Harm DOES in fact eat cookies!!!!! And we thought he didn't know what a cookie was!!!! Ah! My neck itches!! Is that a bad thing?? It doesn't feel nice....anyway, what were we talking about?! Hey! And I happen to like SCRABBLED eggs very much, thank you!!! No, Grace isn't anorexic, she's doesn't like fatty meats and stuff. Anyway, quit pointing out my typos, I have two friendly-beta-reader-fairies here to help :D. Boy, this is your longest review response yet! Most of it doesn't make sense though...that's okay, fits us well :D. 

DelphieKat: Omg, I'm soooo glad you said that, it's been a little difficult trying to determine which Harm is which and which Mac etc. I've been trying my best to separate the four, lol. Thank you and see ya next week!

DD2: Hiya! LOL, I'm happy that this is a worthy substitute for JAG :). Thanks and see ya next week! (new JAG episodes starts with "Hard Time" on April 2nd, I believe :D. Just a heads up).

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: WOW, that's a hard name to spell, lol. Anyway, lol, so glad you're back with us!!! Hehehehe, well, I've used a similar tactic with my own dad when I reeeally need something, lol. Puppy dog eyes always work...well, most of the time. He's learning my tricks, lol. Thanks and see ya next week!

CharmedMummy: *waves* Hiya! 1. (Grammar): I know, there were a LOT of grammar mishaps in the last chapter, I've been trying to fix them here on all the chapters and then re-upload them at the same time. Hopefully I'll get that done when I finished this story :). 2. (Leavenworth): *meep* that's a mistake...biggy. I messed that up big time and would probably never have noticed if you didn't point it out, lol. Thanks :). 3. (School): Actually, and I forgot to specify, the day that was written in that last chapter was a Saturday, and the day they'll spend in Kansas will be Sunday. School should start up by Monday :D. Hmmm...the kid's names...well, there isn't that much significance, or much of a story behind them, but I could stick one in there somewhere. Thanks for the idea :). You have a great weekend too and see ya next week!

SarahRabb705: LOL, thanks, the confession scene was fun to write :D. Teehee, well, your questions should be answered in this chappy. Thanks, Sarah, and see ya next week!

Mimmi: LOL, yeah, me like twists :D. Keeps me and hopefully everyone else on their toes ;). Yay! I really wanted to get the feeling across that this was one big happy family and they were starting to connect. I'm glad you felt that!!! Yes, bad Mr. Palmer is gonna come in and stir things up a bit—but not too much, I promise!! Ohhhh, and don't worry, Eric shall grace this chapter :). LOL, hey, obsessions can be fun :)...maybe not healthy, but fun :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Annebd: LOL, yeah, lots of typos in that chapters, didn't have much time to go over that part. :). Aw, thank you, I kind of liked that whole scene at breakfast, family scenes hit a soft spot, because family has always been very important to me :). Great chapter on Whose Baby, but PLEASE update that soon!!! Thanks and see ya next week!

Maggie: LOL, the confession was much fun to write, glad ya liked it :D. Yeah, Palmer tends to always get in the way :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Girlgunner: Great to have you back! Thank you, Eric has quickly turned into one of my beloved characters and I'm glad you like him too :). Omg, lol, IMO, Palmer is one of the best television villains out there, and it's going to be interesting to write him. I've never written for his character before, so I hope I can portray him well enough :). Thank ya very much for all your nice compliments, they really boost my confidence :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Lili: LOL, yes, daughters can be very persuasive. The puppy dog eyes is the ultimate weapon for getting what we want, LOL. I use it sparingly :). YES, Eric will have an appearance in this chapter, most definitely :). Thank you and good luck on your exams!!! Hmm, um...Saluti...my bit of Italian :D. Thanks and see ya next week!

Mars: Heehee, thank you. Ya, it would make things interesting if Eric could remember Grace, but he will have his own part to play in this story :). A pretty important part actually :). *cough* angst alert *cough*....Yeah, now it's kind of Papa Harm's turn to be disgruntled, lol. Hmmm...well, Palmer might TRY to go through time...I'm so evil, lol. You'll know soon enough :). Thanks and see ya next week! More of Eric to come :)

ArwenUndomiel: Hey, don't worry, you weren't the last to review! :) Yes, things are FINALLY starting to pick up a little bit, don't want it too fast, but yet I don't want it too slow!!! Hey, it's all right, stuff gets hectic, I completely understand. This chapter was sort of last minute too, had to do some quick tweaking :). Thanks for the wonderful compliments and see ya next week!

Winnie Bear: LOL, no, but suspense is so much fun!!! Well...for me it is, lol. Hope ya like this! Thanks and see ya next week!

Macicat: Hey! Thank you! Hmm...well, Mama Mac is a bit insecure all around right now, as you'll see in this chapter. She and Papa Harm have some major adjusting to do, as do the children. Hmm, but that's an interesting point you bring up, I'll see if I can work that into the flow, thanks :). Thank you and see ya next week!

Pissed Off Poet: Thank you! Oy, I just hope it's heading in the right direction! :) Thanks and see ya next week!

************************************************************************

(A/N): ^Hey look, I actually created a divider, easier on the eyes :D. Oh, I just amuse myself sometimes. :) Anyway, "PMT Airlines" is of my own creation and doesn't exist. 

Chapter 8: Neurons, Protons, Electrons & Old Enemies 

1430

Rabb Home

Georgetown, Virginia

 "Harmon Rabb Junior, have you completely lost your mind?!" 

Grace cringed as she sat with her ear to her parents' bedroom door. Though you couldn't pick up any soft conversation from the other side, shouts could be heard quite easily. 

"Mac, come on, it's no big deal!"

"No big deal?!  No big _deal_?! You're flying halfway across the country with my daughter to interview a sociopath from hell to get probably spurious information about _time travel_?! You're right, it's not a big deal—it's just plain _stupid_!" 

Inside the bedroom, Sarah was pacing rapidly across the hard wood floor, her face red and her arm crossed tightly against her chest. Harm was leaning against the dresser, watching his wife fume and trying to reason with her. 

"Look, Mac, it's going to be in a high security prison—"

Sarah threw her arms up. "That's hasn't stopped Palmer before!"

"Mac, that was nearly twenty years ago when prison security wasn't _half_ what it is now!"

She sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "It isn't about that, Harm!" She murmured.

Harm sat down next to her, gathering her hand in his. "Well then, what is it?"

She bit her lip nervously. "It's...I just don't want _him_ back in our lives. I don't want him to know anything about us, or the kids—"

Finally truly understanding his wife's concern, Harm wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He won't. Mac, this isn't a social visit, we just need information." 

She shook her head, staring down at the floor. "Harm, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Honey, everyone gets a bad feeling when it has to do with Palmer. Now, look, we'll fly out tomorrow, have the interview and get out of there. We'll be back before dinner time."

Mac thought this over a moment, giving a large sigh. "You better, I'm making that damned veggie lasagna of yours."

Harm chuckled, leaning his head down to kiss her. Mac pulled away, standing from the bed. "I'm still mad at you though, flyboy." But Mac's lips twitched into the smallest of a smile, which she hid from her husband. 

***

0940

Rabb Home

 Isabel watched her mother carefully as the woman made breakfast. 

"I want bacon." Isabel announced. 

Sarah placed the bowl of cereal in front of her daughter, dropping the spoon next to it. "I don't have time for bacon." 

"Why?"

"I have a lot to do today."

"Like what?"

"Clean the house, drop by the Tiners' to give them their belated baby shower gift and oh—geeze, _and_ I have to get to the store too or else we won't have any dinner tonight." 

Mac came into the kitchen yawning as she caught the last part of Sarah's reply. 

"Morning." Sarah said quickly, without even looking at Mac. 

"Hey." 

"Morning, Macky!" Isabel greeted her cheerfully. 

Mac made a half smile. Isabel had dubbed her "Macky" the day before and now used it faithfully.

Sarah buzzed about the kitchen in a blur, going from the refrigerator to the pantry and back again, making a list of the things she needed. When Mac finished her own cereal, she brought it to the sink and started to wash it. Sarah shooed her away though.

"I'm taking care of all of that stuff. Just don't touch it."

Mac backed away from the busy woman, giving Isabel a glance. The little girl seemed to find all of this quite normal and was reading the back of the cereal box, saying the words softly and slowly. 

 Mac watched as Sarah finally put the list down, filled with dozens of needed groceries. The Marine strolled over to the counter, picking up the list. "You know, Sarah, I could go to the store for you."

The older woman stopped scrubbing the stovetop and turned her head to her younger self. Isabel looked away from the cereal box to watch. "No, I don't think so. Someone might recognize you." Sarah slowly went back to her scrubbing.

Mac merely shrugged a slender shoulder. "I'll go to a store outside Georgetown, I doubt I'll run into anyone you know."

Sarah made a sound something between a groan and a whimper. She looked around the kitchen nervously. After a couple days with just two added people around, the house needed a lot of work, and Sarah wanted it done before the weekend was out. She folded her arms tightly, biting her lip.

"...I guess you can go for me. I'll—call a cab for you."

Mac grinned, finally glad she could help. 

***

0948

PMT Airlines (Private Military Transportation)

30,000 Ft. Above Sea Level

Saturday

 Grace yawned, shifting in the seat. She was having trouble finding a comfortable position. Giving up, the girl slumped down into the seat, and then mistakenly looked out the oval airplane window. She moaned softly, seeing the flat farmlands that resembled a quilt below. Grace turned away sharply, feeling her stomach knot. Her father noticed and looked over from his newspaper. 

"You doin' okay?" He asked calmly. 

Grace huffed a sigh, closing her eyes. "We're thousands of feet above the ground, I can't eat, and I'm running on four hours of sleep. No, I'm not okay."

Harm shrugged, his eyes darting back to the newspaper. "You're the one who begged to come."

"Yeah, yeah." She grumbled in response.

Grace tapped her fingers on the armrest, gripping the end of it whenever the plane vibrated a little from turbulence. "Amazing," She spat, staring hard at the back of the seat in front of her, "We've finally found the cure for the common cold, but we can't get airplanes to sit still."

Harm narrowed his eyes, looking up from the paper. "We had turbulence?"

"Didn't you feel it?"

"No."

Grace groaned leaning her head back, and she started to tap her foot. Harm looked at his daughter skeptically. "I can't believe a child with half of my genes hates flying."

"Mom hates flying."

"No, no, your mother hates flying in _fighter planes_."

Grace shrugged, giving her father a sarcastic countenance. "Well, maybe she hates commercial planes too and just never told you."

Harm smirked. "Unbelievable." He muttered under his breath. 

"So I have Aviophobia, it's not my fault." Grace suddenly discovered if she continued to talk, it kept her mind off the fact that her feet were very far from the ground. 

"So, um, this Palmer guy..."

"Mmhm." Her father replied, half listening.

"Why exactly is he in prison?"

Harm made a dry chuckle. "Let's just say he's committed a lot of federal crimes."

"Anything...specific?" Grace prodded. 

Her father completely changed the subject, dodging whatever bullet he thought he should avoid. "Don't you have a math test on Monday?"

Grace rolled her eyes, but caught herself from looking out the window. "All right, Dad, I'll be honest with you. I heard Mom say she didn't want this guy back in our lives again. So what exactly was he doing when he _was_ in your life?"

"You know, we're going to have to have a talk about all this eavesdropping you've been doing lately." 

"Don't change the subject again!" 

Sighing, Harm folded up the paper, shoving it in the pouch attached to the back of the chair in front of him. Grace tried to make herself comfortable for the story. 

"A long time ago, before you were born or before I was even married, Clark Palmer made it his mission in life to terrorize me—don't ask why, it's complicated," He said with a wave of his hand, "anyway, he did a number of things to make my life a living hell, and, eventually, he found himself at Fort Leavenworth."  

Grace's expression dropped a few degrees. "That's it?"

"I told you, it's hard to explain."

"No, you said it was complicated, there's a difference." 

"Look, just, when we go in there, don't make eye contact with him, and don't provoke a battle of wits or anything. Palmer thinks he's the smartest guy on God's green earth and will do what he can to prove it." 

Grace stared at her father quizzically. "You really don't like this guy do you?"

***

1012

Walgreen's Grocery

Washington DC

Mac stared down at her list, reading the numerous items to herself. She reached the refrigerated section and the lawyer pulled two gallons of milk out. When she carefully placed them in the cart, she then crossed the item off the long list. She then headed towards the canned foods aisle. So far, no one recognized her, and she hoped it stayed that way. The last thing she needed was to knock into an old colleague and give them the biggest "freak out" of their lives. Mac couldn't help but chuckle at the thought though. As a possible scenario played out in her head, she didn't notice the cart that was sitting in the aisle she turned into. The metal carts clashed and Mac shook, scaring herself and the person she'd hit. 

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry—" 

Mac stopped. Her jaw slowly dropped as she watched the young man pick up the can of coffee beans he'd dropped. He gave her a polite smile of forgiveness. 

"No problem, ma'am."

"E—Eric?" Mac choked out.

The man rose a dark eyebrow and gave a fleeting glance over his shoulder. "Um...yeah—I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Mac blinked in surprise. He wouldn't recognize her. Mac suddenly felt guilt form in her stomach. Grace's old boyfriend had become a very attractive young man. Inwardly slapping herself, Mac straightened her spine, clamped her jaw and moved her cart out of the way. 

"I'm sorry, I—I gotta go." With that, Mac breezed past him.

Thoroughly confused, but also apparently intrigued, the man turned his own cart around and fell in step with her. 

"How do you know my name?" He asked, both of their carts whirring down the aisle. 

Mac made a small whimper. She had to get away from him. "I—I thought you were somebody I know, but you aren't." She lied. 

"You mean I look like somebody you know who also happens to have the same name? Are you sure it's not me you're looking for?" 

Mac sped up a little bit, her cart's wheels squeaking loudly. "Yeah, I'm sure." 

Eric kept after her. "Are you one of my patients, perhaps? You see, I'm a doctor—"

"Really, sir, I need to be going," Mac turned at the end of the aisle and tried to disappear into a crowd of shoppers.

"Wait—" Eric caught her arm, stopping her. 

Mac whirled around, her brown eyes locking with the young man's. "I'm sorry I bothered you, but you need to let me go." Mac said grimly.

Eric stuck up his chin. "You know me...aren't you going to give me _your_ name?"

Mac shook her head. This was ridiculous. But she supposed if she gave him her maiden name, he wouldn't find her. "Sarah Mackenzie." With that, Mac gently loosened Eric's grip from her arm, and she squeezed herself into the checkout line.  

***

1030 Local Time

Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary 

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

 The interrogation room was cold and unwelcoming, like any in a prison probably was. Two small, barred windows high up the wall let some natural light into the room, but it didn't give any sort of comfort to the atmosphere. Grace shivered, feeling the cool metal tabletop under her hands. She was nervous. No—petrified. They were in the highest security cellblock—reserved for murderers. What did this Palmer guy do? 

 Her father on the other hand looked perfectly content. Of the small rectangular table, Grace sat at the end of it with her father on the left side. Palmer would then sit next to him and across from her. Harm took some papers out of his briefcase and skimmed over them. He was in his regular military uniform, the bottom of his sleeves gleaming with his gold admiral bars. He peered over at his daughter, concern in his bright eyes. 

"You sure you're all right?"

Pursing her lips, she nodded quickly. "I'm sure." 

A loud buzz came from the door and Grace flinched. Locking mechanisms deep within the metal door unlatched loudly and the door opened. The clink of chains was heard as the prisoner was brought into the room, his hands and feet cuffed. Two guards led him in. The man had a sardonic smile across his face as he was pushed into the room. His hair, which carried hints of gray, was slicked back against his head and his eyes sparkled madly. The guards sat him down roughly, the chains on his hands chinking against the metal table. Harm nodded at the guards and they left to stand outside the door. 

 For the first time, Palmer looked over at Harm. His jaw clenched and he made a short chuckle. 

"Well, well—if it isn't Harmon Rabb Junior. Didn't think I'd be seeing your face ever again, Commander—oh, and I see it's 'admiral' now." Palmer added smugly, forming his fingers into quotation marks. Before Harm could respond, Palmer shot his gaze to Grace, his dark eyes narrowing. His lips formed a wicked smile. 

"Ah, and who might this lovely young lady be?" The man asked, leaning forward and crossing his hands on the table.

Grace grimaced, looking away. 

"She's none of your concern at the moment, Palmer," Harm said gravely, "and you'll direct your questions and answers to me from now on, you got it?" 

Palmer made a theatrical sigh, tilting back into the chair and crossing his hands behind his head. "What do you want, Admiral?" Palmer asked tiredly. 

"Seems you tried to stage your own little brig break, Palmer. Didn't work out too well."

Palmer rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Admiral, did you come here for a reason or just to mock me?"

"I could care less about you, Palmer, but I _am_ here for a reason." 

"Well then please get to it, Admiral, it's 'brunch day' down at the mess hall and I'd hate to miss it."  

Harm brought out a manila envelope and slid out a pile of photos. They were pictures of a cell wall filled with math equations. "I see you've been keeping yourself quite busy lately."

Palmer shrugged, tilting his head and proudly looking upon the pictures. "You have to when you're carrying a life sentence."

"So in all your spare time, you think you've discovered time travel." Harm said flatly, cutting right to the chase.

Palmer made a crooked grin, pointing a finger at him. "You know, you've always had a problem with keeping an open mind, _Admiral_." 

"Yeah, well, the last time I had an open mind around you, I was almost pumped full of lead."

"You know, I think when you get down to it, you just have serious trust issues."

Grace watched her father's fist clench and she stepped in before it could turn into a brawl. "So just how have you discovered the secret to time travel, Mr. Palmer?" Grace asked suddenly. 

The men quieted and two sets of eyes stared intently at the girl. Palmer chuckled. "See, now _her_ I like."

Harm glared at Grace, silently informing her to shut her mouth. But Grace wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and watch these two fight. She needed answers. Now. 

Palmer now ignored his enemy and focused on the girl. "What's your name, precious?" He asked wryly.

Harm kicked her foot. "Don't answer him—"

"Grace." The girl replied without much hesitation. 

Something seemed to click inside the convict's head and he raised his chin, making a silent, "oh." His eyes darted to the naval officer and he leaned back in his chair, another goofy smile playing across his lips. "Well, I'll be," He murmured with a chuckle, "She's your _daughter_, isn't she?"

Harm didn't answer; he just glowered at the man. Palmer nodded. "Now why would you put you own kid at risk? That is unless she's stumbled upon time travel herself—isn't that right, Gracie?"

"It's 'Miss Rabb,' Mr. Palmer." Grace made clear.

"Ah...I know who her mother is now, too," Palmer muttered, "So tell me, sweetheart, just how did you come across time travel?"

Grace glanced over at her father, who nodded tentatively. Grace crossed her arms over the table. "I've been through it, Mr. Palmer."

The man was trying to decide whether he believed her or not. By her hard expression, he seemed to think she was telling the truth. "Go on."

Grace carefully and discreetly filled him in on the details of her going back, but she omitted the part about Harm and Mac coming forward. Her explanation took about twenty minutes and Palmer listened with great interest, not interrupting once. Harm also stayed silent. 

"And now there are some 'complications.' We want to know if we can gain control over the timeline." 

Palmer crossed his arms, biting his cheek. His eyes flickered from Grace to Harm. "You guys really don't expect me to do this without some sort of exchange, do you?"

Harm sighed. "Can you help us?"

Palmer shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe—but it'll cost you."

Harm scoffed. "Palmer, you're lucky to even be _alive_ right now. You don't deserve any payment. Just tell us how it works!"

Grace watched the man carefully, waiting for his answer. After thinking about it for a moment, Palmer shook his head. "Sorry, Admiral. I want some benefit out of this. And I'm not sharing any information until I'm satisfied."

Harm's eyes flashed with anger. "Palmer—" 

"Dad!" Grace warned. It took a moment, but her father's frame relaxed a little. 

Palmer sniggered. "Still taking orders from women."

"Shut it, Palmer." Grace snapped. 

The man glanced over at her in surprise, his expression quickly turning to disgust. Ignoring him, Grace turned her attention to her father and she leaned over, whispering to him. "Give him what he wants. The information is probably worth it!"

"We don't even _know_ what he wants!" 

"Give him a chance to tell us!"

Nodding to himself, Harm turned to Palmer, shrugging. "All right. What do you want?"

Palmer made that crooked smile again. "Freedom."

***

TBC

***

Sorry for grammar mistakes. I'll go through tomorrow and try to correct!


	9. Author's Note

Dear Readers,

 These past few months have been a blast for me. Writing Scare Tactics was a personal achievement and I'm ecstatic that it's been finished, and finished on a happy note. Unfortunately, writing False Tactics has not been quite the same. I feel I have lost the spark and excitement I had when writing Scare Tactics and it seems I keep forcing myself to write this without nearly as much enjoyment. I feel bad about doing this now, but I believe it's necessary before the situation gets any worse. All of you have been with me and given me tremendous support throughout the last 6 or so months. But I don't believe I can continue if I'm not writing for myself anymore. 

 This story has just started to take a nosedive and I'd rather not continue writing it if I'm not giving it my best effort. And here's why it's been bothering me: the past several weeks, I've been rushing to complete my chapters the day before they're uploaded. In turn, we see typos, illogical reasoning, and in the end, dissatisfaction on my part. I hate it that I've been writing these chapters last minute, and I've been trying to train myself to write more during the week, but my efforts have been unsuccessful. Now, I think I should leave this story where it is, and perhaps some time in the future, I'll go back and re-write it. I wouldn't like to think of this as giving up, but respectfully leaving it before it gets worse. 

 In the meantime, I'm going to start working on other projects. My community is in the tentative stages of working on a theatrical play, and I will most likely be spending a lot of time on this. But I've had other ideas swimming around my head, and you'll probably see a _Lord of the Rings_ or _Pirates of the Caribbean_ story up in a while. You also may see some JAG flash fics or small and short stories. 

 Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks for all your constant support. Though I may be stopping with this story, you guys have convinced me I have a writing talent and I'm going to use it. Thank you all.

~et-spiritus-sancti~   


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